MISSOULA — A man from the Netherlands who trafficked more than ten kilograms of fentanyl into Montana and other states has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme has announced.
Gerad Nigel Punch, 40, had pleaded guilty in October 2025 to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The government alleged in court documents that between February 2023 and March 2025, members of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) headed by Punch brought fentanyl into Montana for distribution. Punch and his coconspirators mailed and transported fentanyl from Phoenix, Arizona, for distribution to local dealers in Texas, Washington, and Montana.
When the fentanyl arrived in Montana, Punch either directly distributed those drugs to local traffickers or arranged for other coconspirators to sell the drugs. Punch was paid several different ways for the drugs he provided, including through coconspirators depositing money in Montana bank accounts he controlled, but were opened in the names of his coconspirators.
According to a news release, Punch would then withdraw the funds the coconspirators deposited as payment for the drugs. Punch also utilized money transfer services, like Cash App and Western Union, to both receive and distribute money to further the DTO.
During the investigation of Punch’s DTO, law enforcement seized over 10 kilograms of fentanyl. Punch was personally caught with over 2,000 grams of fentanyl, which he sold to an undercover officer in Butte in October 2024.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided over the sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Lowney and Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, and the Southwest Montana Drug Task Force, which includes agents from the Montana Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation.
