Idaho man sentenced to prison for possessing meth for distribution

MISSOULA—An Idaho man who admitted possessing meth for distribution after the vehicle in which he was riding crashed in Bozeman was sentenced today to 54 months in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Robert David Barclay, Jr., 42, of Pocatello, ID, pleaded guilty in August to possession with intent to distribute meth.

Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.

The prosecution said in court records that Barclay was arrested on May 7 and that law enforcement found 329 grams, or about 11 ounces, of meth in his backpack. A Montana Highway Patrol trooper who was watching traffic on Interstate 90 from the median near the Belgrade interchange, saw a sedan approaching at what appeared to be faster than the speed limit. The trooper pulled out to follow the sedan when it abruptly exited the interstate. After a high-speed chase toward Bozeman at rates nearing 90 mph, the trooper discontinued the pursuit for safety reasons.

Citizens reported a crash near the Costco parking lot and a man carrying a black backpack. A Gallatin County Sheriff’s deputy who was nearby responded and saw a man fitting the description provided by the Costco loading docks. A foot chase began and the man, identified as Barclay, was arrested for obstructing a peace officer. During a search of Barclay’s backpack at the county’s detention center, officers found 12 bags of meth, which totaled about 329 grams of nearly pure meth.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bartleson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Missouri River Drug Task Force, the Montana Highway Patrol, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.