Repeat drug offender headed to prison

A Lincoln County man was sentenced to prison on Monday in District Court for possession of methamphetamine.

Robert Christopher Eatwell, 44, received a 5-year sentence to a Montana Department of Corrections facility that offers substance abuse treatment programs.

Eatwell asked for a recommendation and received one from Judge Matt Cuffe to be placed in the Veteran Reentry Program in Great Falls once he’s served his state-mandated time.

“I hope the court allows me to do the Veterans Program so I can be productive and be there for my family,” Eatwell said.

Cuffe said he thinks Eatwell can get the treatment he needs in a DOC facility.

“His crime is nearly identical to his previous one and he needs to be in a secure environment to get treatment,” Cuffe said.

According to information on its website, the Veteran Reentry Program is a variable 90- to 270-day modified therapeutic community model program with a primary goal of guiding justice-involved veterans in their successful transition from secure correctional facilities to society.

Eatwell was originally charged with criminal possession of drugs with intent to distribute.

According to court documents, the case began on March 31 when a Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office detective pulled over Eatwell in Libby on March 31. Dispatchers told the detective that Eatwell had a suspended license in Montana and that he was on probation out of Mineral County.

The Sheriff’s Office K-9 was brought to the scene and allegedly alerted deputies to the odor of narcotics in the vehicle.

During a search, deputies allegedly found a back pack that contained mini Ziplock bags containing a substance believed to be crystal meth, along with syringes, including one needle loaded with a clear substance. According to the court report, about 30.7 grams, or one ounce, of the substance was found.

Following his arrest, Eatwell allegedly told detectives that the drugs didn’t belong to him. He also said he had used meth four days prior to his arrest.

However, on April 1 he changed his story and told detectives that the drugs were his and that it was “supposed to be a one-time drug run.”

Eatwell’s probation in Mineral County stemmed from a case in which he received a 5-year deferred sentence on Jan. 12, 2022, for possession of dangerous drugs.

Eatwell is currently being held in the Lincoln County Detention Center.