BOZEMAN – A man arrested last year for dealing large quantities of Xanax and other drugs in Bozeman was sentenced in Gallatin County District Court on Tuesday.
As part of a plea agreement, state prosecutors recommended a three-year deferred sentence for 21-year-old Christopher Flanagan on the charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs with intent to distribute.
Flanagan was arrested in April 2017 while a student at Montana State University, along with former MSU football players Darren Gardenhire and Naijiel Hale.
According to charging documents, Flanagan reportedly admitted to distributing large quantities of Xanax to people in Bozeman. He also admitted that he sold opioid pills, LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, and cocaine.
Flanagan told investigators he had no other source of income.
Investigators with the Missouri River Drug Task Force serving a search warrant allegedly found 355 pills of Xanax, 19 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, LSD, a digital scale, $315 in cash and a 2004 GMC Envoy at Flanagan’s residence.
Judge Holly Brown accepted the state’s recommendation for sentencing, agreeing with both prosecutors and Flanagan’s defense attorney that his behavior and efforts to get his chemical dependency under control warranted the deferred sentence.
Flanagan completed an inpatient chemical dependency program and has continued with outpatient after-care following his arrest.
As part of his sentence, Flanagan must also forfeit the GMC Envoy that was seized during his arrest to the Missouri River Drug Task Force. He must also follow all terms and conditions of his probation in order for the charge to be removed from his record upon completion of the deferred sentence.
