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Lolo man sentenced to prison for role on drug charges

Russell Smith Courthouse
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MISSOULA — A Lolo man who admitted to selling an undercover informant methamphetamine as part of a large trafficking ring was recently sentenced to seven years in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release.

Jason Dean Hager, 56, pleaded guilty in May to possession with intent to distribute meth, according to Acting U.S. Leif M. Johnson.

The government said in court documents that Hager participated with three other co-defendants in trafficking large amounts of meth in the Missoula community from 2018 through 2021.

In December 2019, Hager sold meth to an undercover informant three times in monitored transactions. Law enforcement agents further learned that a confidential informant saw Hager with one and one-half pounds of meth and that he helped a co-defendant move numerous pounds of meth and kept some to use as his own supply.

Co-defendants Terry David Starrett was sentenced to 15 years in prison, Laura Jeanne Haacke was sentenced to 54 months in prison and Jennifer Renee Hawkes was sentenced to 63 months in prison for their convictions in the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force, the Missoula Police Department and the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office.