Havre man charged with meth sales

A Havre man pleaded not guilty in federal court in Great Falls to charges he conspired to sell methamphetamine.

Ronald Jay Kemp, 31, was arraigned Feb. 18 on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and possession of meth with intent to distribute, said a press release from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana released Sunday.

Monday, a trial on the charges was set for April 28.

According to the federal indictment, Kemp is charged with, between August 2011 and Feb. 17, 2012, conspiring to obtain five or more grams of meth with the intent to distribute the illegal drug and with possessing with the intent to distribute five or more grams of meth, with the note that sentencing penalties could be enhanced due to prior drug-related felony convictions.

The investigation leading to the charges, conducted by the Tri-Agency Safe Trails Task Force, led to the charges

Kemp’s criminal history includes a drug sale felony in 2011 and bail jumping felonies in 2012 and 2013. The Montana Correctional Offender network this morning listed him as an inmate in the Cascade County jail.