Armed Fugitive Arrested Twice in Billings Sentenced to Nearly 10 Years

A Wyoming man who twice led Billings law enforcement to loaded guns and hundreds of grams of drugs has been sentenced to nearly 10 years in federal prison.

Kristofer Mikal Wright, 38, was sentenced to 118 months after two separate incidents in 2024, both in Billings, both involving active warrants, firearms, and methamphetamine.

Two Arrests in Billings Lead to Federal Charges

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, 38-year-old Kristofer Mikal Wright of Wyoming has been sentenced to 118 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

READ MORE: Billings Teen Sentenced for Illegal Firearm Possession

Wright pleaded guilty in May 2025 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and being a prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition.

The two encounters happened two months apart, both in Billings, and both followed the same pattern: warrants, weapons, and drugs.

First Encounter: Guns and Meth Found During Surveillance

The first incident happened on March 20, 2024, when Wright had an active arrest warrant out of Wyoming and was already under investigation for drug distribution.

Authorities tracked him to Billings, where he was seen driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee to a storage unit. When law enforcement moved in, they searched the vehicle and found two loaded firearms, ammunition, and more than 35 grams of methamphetamine.

That alone was serious, but it wasn’t the end.

Second Incident Escalates on Billings Streets

Roughly two months later, on May 31, 2024, Wright was back in Billings again with another active warrant.

Law enforcement spotted him at a local motel and began surveillance as he drove through the city. When he stopped at a residence, officers moved in to make an arrest.

That’s when things escalated.

Instead of complying, Wright attempted to flee. Authorities say he tried to force his way out by ramming a broken-down van and even attempted to back into a marked police vehicle.

Officers ultimately used non-lethal bean bag rounds to break the vehicle’s windows and bring the situation under control.

Massive Drug Seizure Raises Stakes

After Wright was taken into custody, investigators searched his Jeep again and uncovered a much larger haul.

Inside the vehicle, officers found two firearms, ammunition, more than 250 grams of methamphetamine, and over 90 grams of fentanyl.

Combined with the March seizure, Wright was now facing federal charges on two counts of drug distribution and two counts of illegal firearm possession.

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Multiple Agencies Involved in Wright’s Arrest

While Wright is from Wyoming, both incidents unfolding in Billings highlight the city’s role in coordinated law enforcement efforts across state lines.

This case involved multiple agencies working together, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Montana Highway Patrol.