Former MSU Bobcat guilty of cocaine trafficking

published on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 10:53 PM MST

By JODI HAUSEN Chronicle Staff Writer

A former Montana State University football and Billings Outlaws player, Shon Flores, pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to trafficking nearly 20 pounds of cocaine around the state between August 2008 and June 2009.

Flores, a 32-year-old Billings resident, pleaded guilty to conspiracy with the intent to distribute and to distributing cocaine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana.

Flores, who appeared in federal court in Billings before U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, was a member of a “loosely knit group of former and current football players and coaches for the Billings Outlaws, a professional indoor football team,” according to the prosecutors’ statement, released Wednesday.

The group sold drugs to people throughout the Billings community, including business owners, professionals and salesmen, the statement said. The buyers were not identified.

Prosecutors say the FBI and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration were investigating separate cocaine cases in Billings in late 2008 when they determined Flores was supplying the drugs.

Undercover agents from both agencies bought cocaine from Flores and others to build their cases.

Also pleading guilty Wednesday were Athena Beaumont, 28, and Tara Rauschendorfer, 24, who lived with Flores. They are scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 4.

Flores or others obtained the cocaine from Salt Lake City.

A defensive back, Flores earned second-team All-America honors from The Sports Network as a senior at MSU in 1999. He had transferred to MSU from West Hills Junior College in 1998, earning all-Big Sky Conference honors both seasons.

He is originally from Kailua, Hawaii. His attorney, Vern Woodward, said Flores played for the Outlaws for six years before leaving in 2006.

Flores faces 10 years to life in prison, a $4 million fine and at least five years supervised release. He scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 10. He has been released on special conditions.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Jodi Hausen can be reached at jhausen@dailychronicle.com or 582-2630.

Reader Comments

The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of The Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Please read our Online Users Agreement.

knowbetter wrote on Nov 5, 2009 9:06 AM:

" This sounds strangely like a continuation of the mess that tripped up the 'Cats teams a few years back and ended with a dead druggie in the fields west of town and an umemployed MSU head coach. It has a Livingston connection, football connection and cocaine connection. Is anybody in Bozeman looking into that? "

Report Abuse

cowgirlmedic wrote on Nov 6, 2009 6:58 AM:

" Wait, I am confused...this isn't the same situation? "

Report Abuse

You must register with a valid e-mail to post comments on BozemanDailyChronicle.com. Only your Member ID will be posted with your comments. Posts that violate our Online User Agreement will be edited or removed.