Montana woman made tenants pay their rent in Oxycontin

BILLINGS – A Billings woman has been sentenced to almost three years in jail for her part in a scheme requiring tenants pay rent in prescription painkillers.

U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull on Monday sentenced Jessie Nava to two years, nine months in federal prison and three years of supervised release.

Nava, along with her sister and co-defendant, Victoria Nava Reyna, pleaded guilty in March to possessing oxycodone with intent to distribute or aiding and abetting the possession.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Seykora said a woman reported to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration that she was being evicted because she refused to continue paying her rent to the sisters with Oxycontin, a time-release form of oxycodone.

The disabled tenant had been obtaining the painkillers legitimately.