Billings, Montana – A Billings woman who played a leading role in a drug trafficking network that moved methamphetamine and fentanyl from California into Montana and Wyoming has been sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith.
Christina Lavon Hill, 43, previously admitted her role in the case by pleading guilty in December 2025. On Thursday, she received a sentence of 15 years and three months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
She also received a second sentence of 15 years and three months, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. The court ordered both prison terms to be served at the same time.
The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters.
Investigation uncovered a large drug distribution network
According to court records, investigators determined that Hill helped coordinate the movement of large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl from California into the region.
Authorities first became aware of the operation in June 2023, when law enforcement learned that Hill and Nathan Wilnau were distributing illegal drugs in the Billings area.
Prosecutors said Hill served as one of the leaders of the operation. Investigators alleged that she regularly sent money to a drug supplier based in San Francisco, who then arranged for packages containing illegal drugs to be shipped to Billings and Cody, Wyoming.
Once the packages arrived in Cody, Wilnau would travel there, collect them, and transport the drugs back to Billings for distribution.
The investigation reached a major turning point during Wilnau’s final pickup trip. After retrieving a package in Cody, he was stopped by law enforcement while driving back to Billings.
A search of the vehicle uncovered more than 10 pounds of methamphetamine.
Investigators also discovered that the Cody contact had previously accepted three to four additional methamphetamine shipments intended for Hill.
Wilnau was later prosecuted separately and, in June 2026, was sentenced to 11 years in prison on methamphetamine possession charges.
Phone records and financial transactions strengthened the case
As investigators continued examining the organization, they recovered evidence from Hill’s cellphone that provided additional details about the trafficking operation.
Authorities found records showing that between July 2022 and April 2024, Hill completed 19 financial transactions involving four different individuals, totaling approximately $38,300.
According to prosecutors, many of those payments matched the timing of United States Postal Service shipments sent to Hill. The financial records also lined up with text message conversations in which she allegedly placed orders for methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Investigators later intercepted another package addressed to Hill that had been mailed on July 26, 2024. Inside, law enforcement discovered approximately three pounds of methamphetamine before it could reach its destination.
Following that seizure, Hill was arrested and formally charged in the federal case.
The prosecution was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, while the investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation. Officials said the case brought an end to a drug trafficking operation that stretched across multiple states and involved the shipment of significant amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl into Montana and Wyoming.
