MISSOULA — A Missoula man admitted on Tuesday to fentanyl trafficking charges after law enforcement responded to a reported drug overdose death in Missoula County earlier this year, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Jacob Eugene Odman, 39, pleaded guilty on Oct. 11 to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl. Odman faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervised release.

U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. Sentencing was set for Feb. 2, 2023. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other sentencing factors. Odman was detained pending further proceedings.

In court documents, the government alleged that on Feb. 18, law enforcement responded to a residence in Missoula County for a reported drug overdose death and found an individual, identified as John Doe, deceased. Doe’s father reported that Doe had left the previous evening about 7:30 p.m., returned at about 9 p.m. and then went to bed. Doe’s father found Doe unresponsive in bed that morning. Next to Doe was a small blue pill engraved with “M30.” Lab testing determined the pill contained fentanyl. A toxicology report confirmed that Doe had fentanyl and a fentanyl metabolite in his blood when he died. Doe’s cell phone had an incoming call from Odman at 7:24 p.m. on Feb. 17. Drug Enforcement Administration officers located Odman at his residence. Odman confirmed Doe and another individual, identified as John Doe 2, were there the previous night. Officers found four bottles containing 409 blue pills labeled “M30” in Odman’s residence. Lab tests determined the pills contained fentanyl.

The government further alleged Doe 2 confirmed he was at Odman’s residence with Doe the previous evening. Doe 2 advised that on Feb. 18, he spoke with Odman, who said that Doe was dead. On Feb. 21, Odman told Doe 2 that he gave Doe pills the night before he died.

In addition, on Feb. 14, Idaho State Police stopped an individual, searched his vehicle and found more than 300 fentanyl pills hidden in containers designed to look like soda cans. The individual admitted to buying fentanyl in Spokane, Washington, and traveling back to Montana several times. The investigation determined that Odman and the individual were texting regularly during the Feb. 14 trip and that Odman advised he would pay the individual for a product and requested updates on his travel. The individual told Odman, “Idaho is searching my car.” Odman responded, “Oh no.” The individual then said, “It’s in cans.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office.

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MISSOULA — A Missoula man admitted on Tuesday to fentanyl trafficking charges after law enforcement responded to a reported drug overdose death in Missoula County earlier this year, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Jacob Eugene Odman, 39, pleaded guilty on Oct. 11 to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl. Odman faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervised release.

U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. Sentencing was set for Feb. 2, 2023. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other sentencing factors. Odman was detained pending further proceedings.

In court documents, the government alleged that on Feb. 18, law enforcement responded to a residence in Missoula County for a reported drug overdose death and found an individual, identified as John Doe, deceased. Doe’s father reported that Doe had left the previous evening about 7:30 p.m., returned at about 9 p.m. and then went to bed. Doe’s father found Doe unresponsive in bed that morning. Next to Doe was a small blue pill engraved with “M30.” Lab testing determined the pill contained fentanyl. A toxicology report confirmed that Doe had fentanyl and a fentanyl metabolite in his blood when he died. Doe’s cell phone had an incoming call from Odman at 7:24 p.m. on Feb. 17. Drug Enforcement Administration officers located Odman at his residence. Odman confirmed Doe and another individual, identified as John Doe 2, were there the previous night. Officers found four bottles containing 409 blue pills labeled “M30” in Odman’s residence. Lab tests determined the pills contained fentanyl.

The government further alleged Doe 2 confirmed he was at Odman’s residence with Doe the previous evening. Doe 2 advised that on Feb. 18, he spoke with Odman, who said that Doe was dead. On Feb. 21, Odman told Doe 2 that he gave Doe pills the night before he died.

In addition, on Feb. 14, Idaho State Police stopped an individual, searched his vehicle and found more than 300 fentanyl pills hidden in containers designed to look like soda cans. The individual admitted to buying fentanyl in Spokane, Washington, and traveling back to Montana several times. The investigation determined that Odman and the individual were texting regularly during the Feb. 14 trip and that Odman advised he would pay the individual for a product and requested updates on his travel. The individual told Odman, “Idaho is searching my car.” Odman responded, “Oh no.” The individual then said, “It’s in cans.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office.

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