Billings Woman Sentenced to 10 Years for Meth Distribution

A Billings woman has been sentenced to a decade in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in the community.

Julia Renee Arvizo, 47, will serve 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. Arvizo pleaded guilty in January 2025 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

DEA Investigation Uncovers Major Drug Activity

According to court documents, the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating several methamphetamine dealers in the Billings area in September 2023.

Julia Arvizo was identified as one of the primary suspects. Over the next two months, confidential sources working with the DEA purchased just under a pound and a half of pure methamphetamine from her.

Promises of Larger Quantities

In November 2023, Arvizo told one confidential source that it would be no problem to supply three pounds of methamphetamine at one time. Investigators also learned she had traded methamphetamine for firearms.

A co-defendant estimated distributing between a quarter of a pound and a half a pound of methamphetamine for Arvizo every single day.

Case Prosecuted Under Project Safe Neighborhoods

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Patten and investigated by the DEA. It falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide program that works to reduce violent crime and gun violence.

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The program emphasizes building trust in communities, supporting organizations that help prevent violence, focusing enforcement efforts on priority areas, and tracking the results of these initiatives.