Lolo man gets prison time for meth trafficking

A Lolo man who admitted to selling an undercover informant methamphetamine as part of a large trafficking ring was sentenced on Nov. 12 to seven years in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release.

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

U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.

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 1 1/2 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.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime.

Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.