5 Pounds of Cartel Meth Bound for Billings: Local Man Faces Decades in Federal Prison

A 45-year-old Billings man faces up to a decade in federal prison after pleading guilty to trafficking more than five pounds of methamphetamine into Montana. Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith announced that Jason Daniel Schauer, 45, entered a guilty plea in federal court following a major interagency highway drug bust that cut off a direct supply line from Phoenix to the Magic City.

High-Speed Reckless Driving Leads to I-90 Drug Bust

The federal case against Schauer stems from a traffic stop on July 3, 2025, near Livingston, Montana. A Montana Highway Patrol trooper initiated a stop after witnessing Schauer and a passenger driving recklessly at high speeds through a local gas station parking lot off Interstate 90.

During the roadside interaction, troopers spotted visible drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle, providing probable cause to impound the car and request a federal search warrant.

Five Pounds of Meth Discovered Hidden in Vehicle

A subsequent search of the vehicle by state investigators uncovered five cellophane-wrapped bundles concealed beneath the rear passenger seat.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) later conducted laboratory testing on the seized contraband, confirming the bundles contained 2,202 grams, roughly five pounds, of high-purity methamphetamine.

Billings Defendant Admits to Phoenix Cartel Connection

During an interrogation with agents from the Montana Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI), Schauer admitted to purchasing the massive quantity of narcotics in Phoenix, Arizona, for $4,500.

Court documents reveal that Schauer confessed that the suppliers were directly connected to an Arizona drug cartel and confirmed he was actively transporting the meth back to Billings for local distribution at the time of his arrest.

Federal Penalties and Sentencing for Jason Daniel Schauer

Schauer pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan.

Because federal drug charges carry severe mandatory minimums, Schauer faces the following statutory penalties at his upcoming sentencing:

• Prison Time: Up to 10 years in a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
• Financial Fines: A maximum financial penalty of up to $10 million.
• Post-Release: Five years of federal supervised release.

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Judge Cavan will determine the final sentence at a later date based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. Court records indicate Schauer remains on pretrial release pending his formal sentencing hearing. The multi-agency investigation was spearheaded by the Montana Highway Patrol, Montana DCI, and the DEA, with the U.S. Attorney's Office handling the prosecution.