Newton Faces Federal Charges

The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that Brooke Olson Newton, 29, of Bainville appeared on several federal indictments.

Newton, 29, appeared in Great Falls on June 11 in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and made not guilty pleas to charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and distribution of fentanyl.

If convicted of the most serious crime, Newton faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release.

She was detained pending further proceedings.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Valley County Sheriff’s Office, Phillips County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice and the Williston, N.D., Police Department investigated the case.

According to court records, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant on Feb. 2 on a vehicle. Agents seized three concealment containers, one fentanyl pill, drug paraphernalia, approximately 20 rounds of small caliber ammunition, approximately 25 rounds of 9 mm ammunition and two cell phones.

Court documents read that beginning in or about February 2023 and continuing through Jan. 23, 2024, in Roosevelt, Valley and Cascade counties and on the Fort Peck Reservation, Newton and Levi Eric Newton conspired with others to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.

Brooke Newton is also charged with distributing a detectable amount of fentanyl on Feb. 13, 2023, in Great Falls, and on Jan. 16, 2024.

The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.