Polson man pleads not-guilty to drug charges

Kellen Kantrell Norman, 19, of Polson, appeared in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto May 25 and pled not guilty to charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, distribution of cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of an unregistered firearm.

If convicted of the most serious crime, Norman faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and four years of supervised release on the drug possession crime and a mandatory minimum of five years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the crime of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Norman was released pending further proceedings.

The Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.