Great Falls, Montana – Two Great Falls residents have been sentenced to federal prison after admitting their involvement in a fentanyl trafficking operation that was investigated by local and federal law enforcement agencies.
Kylie Lynn Minardi, 24, and Zachary Taylor Cortez, 28, each received a prison sentence of five years and two months for offenses connected to the distribution of fentanyl in the Great Falls area.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith announced the sentences, which also require both defendants to serve four years of supervised release after completing their prison terms.
Minardi, who pleaded guilty in June 2026 to distributing fentanyl and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, was sentenced on Wednesday.
Cortez had previously pleaded guilty in May 2026 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He received his sentence on September 23, 2026.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided over the proceedings.
Police investigation leads to discovery of fentanyl pills
According to court documents, law enforcement officials began looking into Cortez and Minardi after suspecting that the pair were involved in selling fentanyl in Great Falls.
The Great Falls Police Department conducted an investigation between June and August 2024 to examine their suspected drug trafficking activities.
During the investigation, officers obtained a warrant allowing them to track and search Cortez’s vehicle.
Authorities later stopped the vehicle while both defendants were inside.
During the search, investigators discovered approximately 97 grams of fentanyl in pill form, along with a digital scale.
The discovery provided evidence in the investigation into the pair’s suspected involvement in distributing the controlled substance.
The case eventually resulted in federal charges against both defendants, who entered guilty pleas in separate proceedings during May and June 2026.
Following those pleas, the federal court imposed identical prison terms of 62 months, along with four years of supervised release for each defendant.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case, while the Great Falls Police Department, Russell Country Drug Taskforce and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation.
The sentences bring the federal criminal proceedings against Cortez and Minardi to a close, following an investigation that began more than two years earlier.
