Man faces life in prison, $10 million fines, for meth dealing

By DAVID REESE

Bigfork Eagle

A Lakeside man faces $10 million in fines and life in prison on charges related to methamphetamine sales and possession.

Nathan Glen Kirkland, 45, of Lakeside, appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Jeremiah Lynch in Missoula July 28. He pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamines and possession with intent to distribute meth.

The Flathead County case against Kirkland started in March 2013, when undercover members of the Northwest Drug Task Force arranged to buy two ounces of meth from Bryce Fischer of Kalispell, according to court documents. Although that deal never was completed, law enforcement agents performed a traffic stop of a vehicle Fischer was driving in April 2014 near U.S. Highway 2 and Seventh Avenue East in Kalispell. Kirkland was in the vehicle at the time and both men were arrested, based on probable cause. During the search of the vehicle, agents found 452.7 grams of methamphetamine in a travel bag belonging to Kirkland, according to court documents. During post-arrest interviews, Kirkland and Fischer admitted to their role in trafficking methamphetamines in the Flathead Valley, court documents say. Kirkland said he had returned from Iraq where he was working on oil rigs, and on his way back from Iraq he stopped in Thornton, Colo., to pick up approximately one pound of meth, according to court records. Kirkland put the meth in his carry on bag and travelled with it to Kalispell. 

In June, a confidential source provided information to law enforcement about ongoing meth distribution in Flathead County. The informant arranged the purchase of a half pound of meth from Jacob Edward Gentry of Somers on June 16. This deal was set up to take place at the Black Angus Casino parking lot on U.S. Highway 2 in Kalispell.

Gentry was arrested while driving Kirkland’s Ford F250 and approximately a half pound of meth was found in the vehicle. 

According to court records, Gentry told law enforcement that the meth belonged to Kirkland, and that Kirkland had received four pounds of meth through the mail, which was delivered to Kirkland’s girlfriend, Jackie Erger, at her place of employment at a trucking company on Rose Crossing in Kalispell.

During his questioning at the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, Gentry told law enforcement that he had picked up the meth from Erger’s residence in Evergreen, where Kirkland and Gentry were both present, according to court documents.

Also in the vehicle at the time of Gentry’s arrest at the Black Angus was Peter McGillivray. 

During a followup search of Erger’s home, a safe believed to have been used in the drug operation was seized, but could not be opened.

Kirkland’s home at 75 Grandview Terrace in Lakeside was also searched and agents located two Fedex shipping labels with addresses from Arizona going to the trucking company on Rose Crossing in Kalispell. According to the shipping labels, each package weighed a little over 3 ½ pounds, court records show. 

While searching Kirkland’s truck in Lakeside, agents found 245 grams of meth and $25,950 in cash.

While searching Kirkland’s home, drug agents found a manual for the safe that had been seized at Erger’s home. The manual contained the combination to the safe, and when opened, the safe contained suspected methamphetamines, according to court records.

Four days after the bust at the Black Angus, agents had not located Kirkland. On June 20, agents spoke with Erger and she told them that Kirkland had likely fled the area “to start a new life,” court records say. On June 22, Agents found Kirkland outside his home in Lakeside and he was arrested without incident.

Kirkland has a criminal history including felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance, escape and forgery. Kirkland was convicted in Colorado for felony escape and had received a two-year sentence with the Colorado Department of Corrections.

If convicted of the Montana charges, Kirkland faces life in prison, $10 million in fines and five years supervised release. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Northwest Drug Task Force. He is currently listed on the Missoula County Detention roster. His next hearing in U.S. District Court is Aug. 12.