From the Courts - Federal District Court: Minnesota man convicted of Havre, Billings meth, fentanyl charges

U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Montana

GREAT FALLS — A federal jury convicted a Minnesota man Wednesday of trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl in Havre and Billings in 2021, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

After a 2½ day trial that began on September 11, the jury found Rembrandt Carlos Kemp of Fridley, Minnesota, 32, guilty of conspiracy to distribute or to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, as charged in an indictment.

Kemp faces 5 to 40 years in prison, a $5,000,000 fine and at least 4 years of supervised release.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for January 31, 2024. Kemp was detained pending further proceedings.

“As Kemp’s conduct demonstrates, the tentacles of drug trafficking reach every corner of Montana, from our biggest city to our smaller communities on the Hi-Line. I’m grateful for the diligent investigative efforts of the Tri-Agency Task Force, the Havre Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration and to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Lowney and Benjamin Hargrove for bringing Kemp to justice. We remain committed to working with all our law enforcement partners to combat illegal drug distribution across the state,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.

The government presented evidence at trial showing that on January 11, 2021, an investigation was initiated regarding a woman and man distributing fentanyl in Havre, Montana. Based on information provided by a confidential source and after reviewing public Facebook profiles, law enforcement determined that the female was Chantel Azure and the male was Rembrandt Kemp. January 13, 2021, the source successfully conducted a controlled buy of fentanyl pills from Azure. During the sale, law enforcement observed Azure arrive in a vehicle with two male passengers inside. Agents saw Azure get out of her car, get into the source’s vehicle where the sale occurred, and return to her vehicle with the two men still inside.

After continued surveillance, law enforcement initiated a traffic stop with Azure and her two occupants inside the vehicle. Kemp was located in the front passenger seat and his co-defendant, Martaveon Scott, was in the back seat. Azure and Kemp were arrested on warrants and Scott was arrested for providing a false name. Kemp was found with 4.32 grams of actual methamphetamine and a digital scale. Scott was found with 28.43 grams of actual methamphetamine and 100 pills of fentanyl, which weighed approximately 9.6 grams. An additional 2.9 grams of actual meth was found in the trunk of the vehicle along with a .22 caliber AR-15 style rifle.

Additionally, $1,378 was found with Kemp and Scott in the car, including the $800 cash used by the source for the controlled buy.

Martaveon Makei Scott previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 29, 2023 in front of Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris.

Chantel Marie Azure previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. She was sentenced in December 2022 to 28 months in prison followed by 4 years supervised release.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Lowney and Benjamin Hargrove are prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Tri-Agency Task Force, Havre Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.