District of Montana

BILLINGS—Bruce Howell Runion was sentenced today to three years in prison and three years of supervised after admitting he possessed 20 firearms in Musselshell County despite being prohibited from having guns because of a felony conviction, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Runion, 47, of Crosby, Tenn., pleaded guilty in February to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

The prosecution said in court records that the Musselshell County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call for assistance at a residence on Aug. 1, 2017. Runion was outside, covered in blood and acting aggressively. During a safety sweep of the residence, officers saw on a coffee table a pistol that had been discharged into the ceiling. An investigation found that Runion had become enraged because of a phone call and had discharged the firearm into the ceiling while trashing the residence.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives identified Runion as a prohibited felon and obtained a search warrant for the residence. Agents found an assortment of 20 firearms. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the ATF.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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BILLINGS—A Billings man who admitted selling meth from his house located near a school and having multiple firearms was sentenced today to eight years in prison and six years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Giovanni Rodrick Shawl, 32, pleaded guilty earlier to possession with intent to distribute meth and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided.

In the summer of 2017, law enforcement learned that Shawl was distributing meth in Billings and worked with a confidential informant to make controlled buys from him at his residence, which was located within 1,000 feet of Riverside Middle School, the prosecution said in court records.

In September 2017, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Shawl’s residence and recovered, among other items, a 7.62 rifle, .40 caliber ammunition and magazines, along with a small amount of marijuana and a digital scale with residue. During a search of a pickup truck Shawl had been seen driving during a controlled buy, agents found a loaded .40 caliber pistol, a loaded 9mm pistol, ammunition and about 5.4 grams of meth.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI Task Force.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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BILLINGS—A Utah man who admitted supplying methamphetamine to others for distribution in the Billings area was sentenced today to 13 years in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Mark Terry Quintana, 27, of Price, Utah, pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

In court documents, the prosecution said that a 2016 drug trafficking investigation of meth and heroin transportation from Utah to Montana led to Quintana as the source of the meth. A local distributor told law enforcement he had bought at least $40,000 in narcotics from Quintana in a month. Agents also conducted a controlled buy of four ounces of meth from Quintana in Utah.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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GREAT FALLS—Poplar resident Richard Allen Granbois, who admitted to possessing methamphetamine for distribution and possessing a firearms in connection with drug trafficking,  was sentenced today to six years in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Granbois, 36, pleaded guilty in January to possession with intent to distribute meth and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided.

The prosecution said in court records that multiple persons confirmed to law enforcement they had bought meth from Granbois during the summer of 2017 on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Persons also confirmed that Granbois regularly had firearms while dealing drugs.

A Montana Highway Patrol trooper made a traffic stop of Granbois’ vehicle in June 2017 and ticketed him for driving while under the influence of drugs. Early in the stop, the trooper noticed Granbois to be nervous and physically shaking. He also noticed between the driver’s seat and center console a handgun that Granbois was trying to hide with his body and a backpack. The trooper drew his own service weapon and ordered Granbois out of the vehicle. The handgun between the seat and console was a .40-caliber handgun loaded with eight live rounds. After getting a tribal search warrant for the vehicle, the trooper found a 9mm handgun, a .22/410 gauge rifle, ammunition, meth and marijuana.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Cobell prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Fort Peck Tribes and Montana Highway Patrol.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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BILLINGS—A Billings man who admitted illegally having a firearm that he discharged during a fight, sending a bullet through the brim of a person’s hat, was sentenced today to the statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Gary Duane Ervin, 51, pleaded guilty in April to being a prohibited person in possession a firearm.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

The prosecution said in court records that on Oct. 28, 2018, Billings Police officers responded to a weapons complaint at a residence and found Ervin and two other individuals. During an altercation between Ervin and one of the individuals, Ervin pointed a firearm in the air and fired, sending a round into the brim of the person’s hat. The firearm was .38-caliber revolver that had been reported stolen, and it had an obliterated serial number. Ervin was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior felony conviction.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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BILLINGS—A Billings man who admitted to illegally possessing a firearm was sentenced today to 15 months in prison and three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Kenneth Clarence Altman, 26, pleaded guilty in March to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

Billings Police officers arrested Altman after responding to a suspicious activity call on Sept. 15, 2018, the prosecution said. Officers learned there was a warrant for Altman and asked if he had any weapons. Altman replied he had a gun, a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol, in his pants pocket. Altman was convicted in 2015 of a crime punishable by more than a year and was prohibited from possessing firearms.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Tatarka prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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BILLINGS—A Laurel man accused of providing at least 15 pounds of methamphetamine for distribution in the community as part of a large trafficking organization was sentenced today to six and one-half years in prison and five years of supervised release, said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.

Tyson Allen Gilmore, 27, pleaded guilty in March to possession with intent to distribute meth.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

Gilmore was among individuals in a drug trafficking conspiracy that included Billings resident Joshua Clause, who was sentenced in April to 15 years in prison for conviction on meth and firearms crimes, the prosecution said. After Clause’s arrest in August 2018, a source told law enforcement that Clause directed him to go to his house and remove 12 pounds of meth. Clause’s co-conspirators gave the meth to the Gilmore. One of Clause’s co-conspirators told agents that Gilmore provided him with 15 pounds of meth for distribution in the Billings area, while another co-conspirator admitted getting one and a half pounds of meth from Gilmore for re-distribution. Sixteen and a half pounds is the equivalent of about 59,796 doses.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Billings Police Department, Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Montana Highway Patrol.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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BILLINGS—Billings resident Larry Benjamin Barnett, who admitted distributing methamphetamine and having a firearm, was sentenced today to seven years in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Barnett, 40, pleaded guilty in April to possession with intent to distribute meth and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

A drug investigation in February 2018 led to the arrest and conviction of Christopher Hurst of Kalispell on drug and firearms crimes. Agents learned that Hurst’s source of meth also supplied Barnett. Officers served a search warrant on Barnett’s residence and found about 187 grams of meth and a firearm. Barnett admitted to receiving multiple pounds of meth from the common source of supplier. Hurst was sentenced to 12 years in prison in May.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, the FBI and the Billings Police Department.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:

Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on July 31 was:

Pete Isaac Smith Jr., III, 36, of Cut Bank, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Smith faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release. He was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI, Glacier County Sheriff’s Office and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services. Pacer case reference. 19-50.

If this case is of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor its the progress regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system.

To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.

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GREAT FALLS – Browning resident Delwin Paul Calflooking, Sr., today admitted to strangling a woman earlier this year at his home on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Calflooking, 47, pleaded guilty to strangulation of a dating partner. He faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Sentencing is set for Nov. 14, 2019. Judge ordered Calflooking detained pending sentencing.

The prosecution said evidence would show that the victim had been drinking with Calflooking on May 6, 2019 at his residence when he began questioning her and strangled and assaulted her. The victim found herself on the ground with Calflooking’s hands around her neck and lost consciousness several times. The victim suffered fractured ribs, a broken arm and significant bruising.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI.

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GREAT FALLS – Box Elder resident Ryan John Gardipee on July 31 admitted to assaulting and injuring a woman during an argument that began while they were out for the evening and continued at a residence on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Gardipee, 23, pleaded guilty to assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a dating partner. He faces a maximum five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and set sentencing for Nov. 14, 2019. Gardipee is detained pending sentencing.

The prosecution said in court records that on Dec. 8, 2018, Gardipee, the victim and another person were out drinking at a casino and then went to another business. An argument began between Gardipee and the victim and continued after they returned to the casino. At one point, Gardipee and the victim began to drive to a residence. Gardipee grabbed the victim’s head as she was driving, and she slammed on the brakes. When the car began moving again, Gardipee jumped out and returned to the casino. Fearing that Gardipee may have injured himself, the victim returned to the casino and the two left together for the residence. On the drive, Gardipee again grabbed the victim’s head and yelled at her to drive to the residence. At the residence, Gardipee assaulted and strangled the victim.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Cobell is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI.

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BILLINGS—A man who admitted selling methamphetamine in the Billings area was sentenced on July 31 to six years in prison and four years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Albert Garcia, 48, hometown unknown, pleaded guilty in November to possession with intent to distribute meth.

Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen of Missoula presided.

The prosecution said in court records that law enforcement received information in September 2017 that Garcia was selling meth in the Billings area. Agents worked with a confidential informant who made two controlled buys of meth, totaling about 26 grams, from Garcia.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Dake prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

 

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BILLINGS—A Crow Agency woman who admitted to beating and injuring an elderly man while she was on methamphetamine was sentenced today 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Melissa Ann Prettypaint-Alvarado, 42, pleaded guilty in March to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

Prosecutors said evidence showed that the Bureau of Indian Affairs police responded on Nov. 18, 2018 to an assault that occurred at a Crow Agency residence on the Crow Indian Reservation. The 77-year-old victim said Prettypaint-Alvarado got angry and attacked him while he was lying on a bed. Prettypaint-Alvarado hit the victim in the face and head, tried to strangle him with a belt, pulled out a clump of his hair and bit his hand.

The victim was taken to Billings Clinic for treatment of injuries to his face, shoulder and eye area.  After the assault, the victim needed a cane to walk.

Prettypaint-Alvarado admitted to law enforcement that she is a meth user and was on meth at the time she assaulted the victim.

“Melissa Prettypaint-Alvarado’s attack on this elderly victim while she was on meth highlights the incredible violence that can result from meth abuse. Meth abuse and related violence is all too common in our communities and will not be tolerated. We will prosecute such crimes to the fullest extent of the law,” U.S. Attorney Alme said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Suek prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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BILLINGS—Former Miles City high school athletic trainer James E. “Doc” Jensen, Jr., who admitted to sexually abusing numerous boys under the pretense of a program he claimed would improve their physical performance, was sentenced on Tuesday to 12 years in prison and to three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Jensen, 79, pleaded guilty in March to coercion and enticement. There was no plea agreement.

Chief U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen of Missoula presided.

Jensen, the prosecution said in court records, was an athletic trainer at the Custer County District High School in Miles City from the 1970s to about 1998. Jensen used the Internet to develop a so-called “Program” he employed to coerce minor male student-athletes into sexual activity saying it would increase their physical performance.

“For years, James Jensen manipulated and committed horrible abuse against many boys, causing emotional and physical harm that his victims still suffer today. Our sincere hope is that this prosecution of Jensen, holding him accountable for his abuse, will help close a chapter in the lives of his many victims and allow them, their families and friends along with the Miles City community to begin to heal,” U.S. Attorney Alme said. “We recognize that coming forward to report abuse is difficult, but if you or someone you know is being physically or sexually abused, please report it,” he said.

Victim interviews confirmed that Jensen engaged in this conduct until at least 1999 and after his association with Custer County District High School. In a September 2018 interview with law enforcement, Jensen admitted the basic tenants of “The Program,” saying he got information for its administration from the Internet and had applied it to numerous minor children.

One of Jensen’s relatives told law enforcement of seeing apparent computer print-outs of “The Program” among Jensen’s possessions. Another witness told investigators about seeing Jensen online and deceptively attempting to contact minor children, particularly boys, by creating a false identity. Internet searches on Jensen’s computer were consistent with sexual interest in children.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zeno Baucus, Bryan Dake and Tim Tatarka prosecuted the case, which was investigated in 2018 by the FBI and the Montana Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation.

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BILLINGS – A federal judge today convicted Billings resident Darrell Franklin Holliday on methamphetamine distribution charges after a two-day bench trial, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided and found Holliday, 48, guilty of all three counts in an indictment. Holliday was charged with possession with intent to distribute meth and two counts of distribution of meth. The trial began on Monday.

Holliday faces a minimum mandatory five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. He remains in custody pending sentencing.  

Judge Watters will set a sentencing date.

Prosecutors presented evidence, including three witnesses, that Holliday was distributing meth in the Billings area and Montana beginning in August 2017. Investigators worked with a confidential informant, who obtained gram quantities of meth from Holliday in two controlled buys. In April 2018, Holliday provided officers a recorded statement in which he admitted to using meth daily when he had the chance. After his arrest, Holliday made statements during recorded jail calls implicating himself.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zeno Baucus and Karla Painter prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the FBI.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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MISSOULA—The U.S. Attorney’s Office is hosting a training program on Wednesday, July 24, at Blessed Trinity Church to share best practices for security at houses of worship. 

The Protecting Houses of Worship program will take place from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Blessed Trinity Parish, 1475 Eaton St., in Missoula.

The free program will provide faith-based leaders and community members an opportunity to discuss and learn how to prevent and respond to hate crimes against places of worship. Topics will include an overview of religious hate crimes, preventing and responding to active shooter situations, hate crimes statistics and symbols and securing places of worship.

Speakers include U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme and representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Anti-Defamation League Pacific Northwest Regional Office.

The U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service and United States Attorney’s Office organized the program. Blessed Trinity Church is hosting the event.

 All faith-based community leaders and members are welcome to attend.  To obtain more information and/or RSVP for the event please e-mail office@blessedtrinitymissoula.org.

Protecting Places of Worship forum  

 

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The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:

Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on July 16 was:

Seth James Todd, 25, of Laurel, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Todd faces a minimum mandatory five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Todd was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI task force and Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Pacer case reference. 19-89.

Appearing on July 18 were:

Alejandro Herrera-Garcia, 34, of Watsonville, CA, and Mariano Herrera-Garcia, 45, of Royal Oaks, CA, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, the defendants faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Both defendants were released pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI West Task Force. Pacer case reference. 16-119.

Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah C. Lynch and pleading not guilty on July 16 was:

Jose Daniel Ramirez, also known as Jose Danny Ramirez, 56, of Missoula, on charges of felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a drug user. If convicted of the most serious crime, Ramirez faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Ramirez was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service and Montana Probation and Parole. Pacer case reference. 19-26.

Scott Michael Todd, 36, of Missoula, on charges of felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a drug user. If convicted of the most serious crime, Todd faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Todd was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Missoula Police Department and Montana Probation and Parole. Pacer case reference. 19-25.

Gregory Scott Tolley, 58, of Superior, on charges of prohibited person in possession of firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Tolley faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Tolley was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI, Montana Violent Crime Task Force, Mineral County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Missoula Police Department. Pacer case reference. 19-27.

Appearing for an initial appearance on a criminal complaint on July 17 was:

Tony Gregory Amador Ortiz, hometown unknown, on charges of possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Ortiz faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release. Ortiz was detained pending further proceedings. The case in being investigated by the Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Pacer case reference. 19-49.

If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system.

To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.

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MISSOULA—A former U.S. Air Force service member who admitted using the internet to coerce minor boys into sending him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves was sentenced today to 15 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Raymond Larry Edward Kennedy, 24, of Kalispell, pleaded guilty in March to sexual exploitation of a child and to receipt of child pornography.

Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.

An investigation began in February 2017, the prosecution said in court records, when the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls contacted an agent with Homeland Security Investigations and member of the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force seeking help with an online child exploitation case involving Kennedy. The Air Force discharged Kennedy on Feb. 6, 2017.

Investigators found that Kennedy met on Snapchat a minor boy who lived in Montana and ultimately determined that Kennedy had met five other minor boys who all lived in Montana. In Kennedy’s online communications with the boys from about July 2015 through June 2017, he coerced them into sending him images and videos of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The boys were all younger than 18 and lived in Kalispell, Big Fork and Great Falls.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee Peterson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

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BILLINGS—Steven Amundson, a Billings man who admitted selling methamphetamine as part of a larger trafficking conspiracy, was sentenced on Thursday to 48 months in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Amundson pleaded guilty in October 2018 to possession with intent to distribute meth.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

In April 2018, law enforcement began investing a meth conspiracy that was importing large quantities of meth into the Billings area, the prosecution said in court records. A confidential informant led agents to Amundson, from whom the informant bought ounce quantities of meth on multiple occasions. Agents also bought an ounce of meth from Amundson in a controlled buy. Amundson’s supplier was co-defendant Wilfrido Varelas-Rubio, who repeatedly brought multiple pound quantities of meth to Billings and provided multiple ounces to Amundson for redistribution. In a search of Varelas-Rubio’s hotel room and vehicle in Billings, agents found nearly 4.5 pounds of meth. Varelas-Rubio was convicted in the case and sentenced to nine years in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, EMHIDTA and FBI.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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BILLINGS—Billings resident Christopher Robert Hamilton, who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine in the community, was sentenced today to eight years in prison and five years of supervised release, said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.

Hamilton, 39, pleaded guilty in December to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and to possession with intent to distribute meth.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

For about two months beginning in December 2017, Hamilton sold multi-gram quantities of meth on several occasions to an undercover agent as part of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigations, the prosecution said in court records.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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BILILNGS – A Billings spa operator today admitted to bringing a woman from Nevada to Billings to provide commercial sexual activity at the business, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Scot Donald Petrie, 61, of Billings, pleaded guilty to transportation of a person with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and aiding and abetting. Petrie faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided and recommended Petrie’s plea be accepted by Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen, who will sentence Petrie. Sentencing was set for Oct. 31. Petrie was released pending sentencing.

Prosecutors said in court records that beginning in June 2014, Petrie helped operate King Spa and A-Spa, which permitted individuals to live at both locations to provide legitimate message services and illegal commercial sexual services. Petrie was aware of the operations and services being provided.  King Spa temporarily closed in December 2018, and Petrie helped re-open the spa to provide the services.

In January, Petrie used his debit card to buy a bus ticket for a woman to travel from Las Vegas to Billings to live and work at A-Spa. Because of a missed connection, Petrie went to Butte to pick up the woman to transport her back to Billings. The woman told law enforcement Petrie had contacted her while she was in Nevada and asked her to come to Montana. The woman said Petrie offered to pay for her bus ticket and provided her with condoms when she arrived in Billings. The woman performed commercial sexual activity, including intercourse, while staying at the spa in Billings.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zeno Baucus and Bryan Dake are prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI.

 

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BILLINGS—A traffic stop that resulted in heroin being seized from the vehicle ultimately led to a Billings man getting sentenced to prison today for his role in a large methamphetamine conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Joe Roy Michael, 38, of Huntley, was sentenced to 12 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Michael pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

The prosecution said in court records that in June 2018, the Montana Highway Patrol made a traffic stop on Michael’s rental vehicle. Michael’s statements conflicted with statements by his passenger and co-defendant, Joshua Clause. The trooper had a K9 dog sniff around the vehicle and the dog alerted to the presence of drugs. A search warrant was executed on the vehicle, and officers found 104 grams of heroin.

Investigators learned from multiple sources that Michael and Clause were selling large amounts of meth in Billings. One source admitted to stealing a pound of meth from Michael. Law enforcement arrested Michael in September 2018 in Townsend, and a search of his vehicle led to the seizure of meth and a pistol.

Clause told law enforcement that he and Michael had imported several hundred pounds of meth from California to Billings for distribution in 2018. A pound of meth is the equivalent of about 3,624 doses. Clause was sentenced in April to 15 years in prison for his conviction in the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Billings Police Department.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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BILLNGS—An Arizona man convicted in a drug investigation in which law enforcement seized 34 pounds of methamphetamine in a suitcase he brought to Billings was sentenced on Wednesday to 10 years in prison and to five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Aldo Fabrizio Pardini, 30, of Mesa, AZ, pleaded guilty in January to possession with intent to distribute meth.

Thirty four pounds of meth is the equivalent of about 123,216 doses and has an estimated street value of $1.54 million.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

Prosecutors said in court records that a confidential informant for the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force learned in July 2018 from a source of meth named Oscar that a relative was flying to Billings from Salt Lake City to conduct the sale of 35 pounds of meth. The meth was coming from Oscar’s associates, who included Pardini and co-defendant Jorge Luis Mendez-Sanchez, of Mexico.

Agents identified another co-defendant, Jose Jesus Islava-Lopez, of Mexico, as Oscar’s relative and followed him from the Billings airport to a Billings hotel. Islava-Lopez checked into a room and met with Pardini in the parking lot. Pardini and Mendez-Sanchez, who were staying together in another room, had transported the meth for the proposed sale from Arizona in Pardini’s car.

Agents detained Islava-Lopez in the lobby. Islava-Lopez told the agents that Oscar had directed him to fly to Billings for a job, rent a room at the hotel and meet a person in a car in the parking lot. After meeting Pardini in the parking lot, Islava-Lopez went to Pardini’s room and took a suitcase Pardini gave him back to his own room. Investigators served search warrants on both hotel rooms and the vehicle and found about 34 pounds of meth in a suitcase in Islava-Lopez’s room.

Mendez-Sanchez was convicted in the case and sentenced to 57 months in prison, while Islava-Lopez also was convicted and sentenced to 65 months in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI West Task Force and Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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BILLINGS—A Lame Deer man who admitted stabbing two women on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation last year was sentenced today to 68 months in prison and three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Keyshawn Trey Sandcrane, 23, pleaded guilty in March to assault resulting in serious bodily injury and to assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a dating partner.

U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided.

The prosecution said in court records that Sandcrane, who has abused methamphetamine, marijuana and alcohol since he was 18, assaulted the victims on Nov. 12, 2018 in a Lame Deer residence. The first victim, his girlfriend, was in another room when she heard the second victim yell, “He’s trying to stab me.” The first victim went into the kitchen area and saw Sandcrane throw the second victim into the washer and dryer area. Sandcrane hit the first victim and slashed her face with a knife. Sandcrane also stabbed the second victim three times in the leg and arm. Both victims were treated for their injuries.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Dake prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.

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GREAT FALLS – An East Glacier woman who taught elementary school on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation today admitted to sexually abusing two students, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Sierra Shawnee Taylor, also known as Sierra Schildt, 36, pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor.

U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston presided and recommended Taylor’s plea be accepted by U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris, who will sentence Taylor. Sentencing was set for Nov. 6.

Taylor faces a maximum 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release.

In court records filed in the case, the prosecution said Taylor was employed as a teacher at the East Glacier Elementary School during the 2014-2015 school year. She taught a mixed-grade class that included some eighth-grade students. Taylor entered a sexual relationship with one of the boys, who was an eighth-grade student, and twice had intercourse with the victim. Investigators identified a second victim, also an eighth grade student, with whom Taylor committed a sexual act in 2012.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI.

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The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:

Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on July 11 was:

Adam Clark Young, 35, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of firearms and possession of a stolen firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Young faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Young was detained. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Pacer case reference. 19-58.

If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system.

To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.

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GREAT FALLS – A Fort Belknap man admitted on Thursday to sexually abusing a girl on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

James Edward Snell, Jr., 42, pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual abuse. Snell faces a minimum mandatory 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release.

U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided and set sentencing for Oct. 24. Snell remains in custody.

Prosecutors said in court records that an investigation of Snell, and defendant Geneva Marie Nadeau, found photographs and videos of them in 2015 sexually abusing a girl, who was under the age of 12. Nadeau confirmed that Snell was in a photograph of a sex act involving the victim. Nadeau was sentenced in February to 22 years in prison and 15 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to aggravated sexual abuse.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Weldon and Jared Cobell prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.

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MISSOULA—A Bozeman area man appeared in court today on charges of destruction of government property, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

William David Hutton, 54, had an initial appearance on a criminal complaint before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah C. Lynch. Hutton waived a preliminary hearing. Judge Lynch detained Hutton pending further proceedings.

The complaint charges Hutton with destruction/attempted destruction of government property. Court documents allege Hutton drove his vehicle into an entrance of the Bozeman Federal Building, at 10 East Babcock St., on July 8.

The complaint is merely an accusation and Hutton is presumed innocent until proven guilty. If convicted of the most serious crime, Hutton faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Starnes is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Federal Protective Service and Bozeman Police Department.

Pacer case reference. 19-mj-45-JCL. If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.

  

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MISSOULA—A Flathead County resident who admitted possessing methamphetamine for distribution after law enforcement found five pounds of the drug in his vehicle was sentenced today to 12 years in prison and to five years of supervised release, said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.

James William Quen, 49, of Coram, pleaded guilty in March to possession with intent to distribute meth.

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

The prosecution said in court records that Quen’s vehicle was stopped for a traffic violation on Dec. 16, 2017 in St. Regis. A search warrant was later served on the vehicle and law enforcement recovered five pounds of meth inside. Five pounds of meth is the equivalent of about 18,120 doses. Investigators also received information that Quen had gone to Oregon to get the meth and had supplied pound quantities to another person, who had seen Quen in possession of 10 pounds of meth.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Northwest Montana Drug Task Force.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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GREAT FALLS – Gary Allen Jimenez, a Heart Butte resident, admitted drug distribution charges today for providing a minor with methamphetamine on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Jimenez, 24, pleaded guilty to distribution of a controlled substance to a person under 21. Jimenez faces a minimum mandatory one year to 40 years in prison, a $2 million fine and at least six years to life of supervised release.

U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and set sentencing for Oct. 24. Jimenez is detained.

The prosecution said in court records that in early 2017, FBI agents began investigating allegations that persons on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation were providing meth and other drugs to minors. A juvenile girl was identified as being involved in such activity and communicated with potential meth dealers through Facebook. A search of the juvenile’s Facebook accounts identified Jimenez as being involved in illicit transactions with the juvenile, who at the time was between 12 and 14 years of age. The juvenile told law enforcement that he provided her with meth on multiple occasions and that they had smoked it together.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Starnes prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Blackfeet Tribal law enforcement.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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BILLINGS – Lawrence Jace Killsback, the former president of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Tribe, today admitted to a travel fraud scheme in which he is accused of getting an estimated $20,000 in improper reimbursements, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Killsback, 40, of Busby, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and to false claims conspiracy during an arraignment and plea hearing.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided and will recommend to U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters that Killsback’s plea be accepted. Judge Watters will preside at sentencing. Judge Cavan continued Killsback’s release.

Killsback faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the wire fraud crime and a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the false claims conspiracy crime.

Prosecutors said in court documents that while serving as tribal president and in his previous job as the tribe’s health director, Killsback submitted false or fraudulent invoices to tribal, state and federal entities claiming travel expenses for travel he was already being reimbursed through either the tribe, state, other tribes or federal agencies, for travel that never occurred or for travel dates or rates that were inflated or exaggerated.

Killsback also conspired with at least one other person in devising and executing the schemes. Although Killsback disputed the amount, prosecutors said he received an estimated $20,000 in improper reimbursements from 2014 to 2017.

When interviewed by investigators in March 2019, Killsback admitted to submitting the same reimbursement forms and invoices to multiple agencies for travel expenses and to submitting fake invoices for reimbursement. In addition, Killsback noted that this travel fraud happens all of the time on the reservation. Killsback was aware of this scheme and described this as a culture of fraud.

In one scheme, Killsback double and triple dipped travel reimbursements between September 2015 and September 2017 on at least 10 trips he made while serving on various state and national boards. He received multiple reimbursements from various entities, including the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, state of Montana, the Blackfeet Tribe and the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

Another scheme involved Killsback falsifying hotel invoices by changing the number of days, rate or total expenses for trips through a software program used by Killsback or a co-conspirator. Investigators identified 28 trips that involved such fraudulent conduct by Killsback.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan Dake and Ryan Weldon prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and Department of Interior, Office of Inspector General. 

 

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The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:

Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on July 1 was:

Dekker Karl Boeke, 26, of Roundup, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and unlawful user of controlled substance in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Boeke faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Boeke was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Pacer case reference. 19-78.

Appearing on July 2 was:

Keyshaun Frank Left Hand, 19, of Crow Agency, on charges of assault resulting in substantial injury to a dating partner and kidnapping. If convicted of the most serious crime, Left Hand faces a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release. Left Hand was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI. Pacer case reference. 19-85.

Sarah Marie Guckeen, 36, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Guckeen faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Guckeen was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI task force and Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Pacer case reference. 19-83.

Thomas Joseph Mascarena, 43, a transient in Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Mascarena faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Mascarena was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Pacer case reference. 19-70.

If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system.

To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.

 

 

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GREAT FALLS – Jacqueline Marie Kirkaldie, of Great Falls, admitted today that she distributed methamphetamine and heroin that came to the community from California, said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.

Kirkaldie, 32, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. She is detained. Kirkaldie faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release.

U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and set sentencing for Oct. 16, 2019.

In court records, the prosecution said that beginning in September 2018, the Russell Country Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating a meth and heroin distribution ring in Great Falls. Kirkaldie was among those who redistributed for the group.

In January, detectives interviewed a heroin addict who said he got his heroin from Kirkaldie and knew that she had a source of drugs who brought pound quantities of meth and heroin from California to Great Falls on a weekly basis.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the DEA and Russell Country Drug Task Force.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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GREAT FALLS – A California man admitted today to dealing methamphetamine in Havre, Great Falls and the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Roel Centeno, 44, of Oxnard, CA, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute meth. He faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release. He was detained.

U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and set sentencing for Oct. 16, 2019.

The prosecution said in court documents that law enforcement agents learned Centeno was arranging the shipment of numerous packages of meth to recipients in Havre, Great Falls and the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation from about June 2017 to March 2018. The recipients broke down the meth packages for local redistribution. Agents interviewed numerous persons who received meth from Centeno.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Great Falls Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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BILLINGS – Birney resident Randy Lee Littlebird admitted today to murdering a woman by strangling her with a rope in their residence on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation last year, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Littlebird, 35, pleaded guilty to second degree murder, strangulation and domestic abuse by habitual offender.

U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided. Judge Watters continued Littlebird’s detention and set sentencing for Nov. 6, 2019.

Littlebird faces a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the murder charge, and a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the strangulation and domestic abuse charges.

In court records filed by the prosecution, Littlebird killed the victim on Feb. 4, 2018 at a shared residence in Birney. Littlebird and the victim were drinking alcohol throughout the day and were drunk. Another individual in the house heard a confrontation between the two and the victim yell, “No Randy, don’t, don’t,” then her scream, followed by silence.

Littlebird entered the individual’s room and said that the victim was unresponsive. The individual found the victim lying on the floor near a rope. Littlebird claimed the victim had killed herself and he had moved the body.

An autopsy determined the cause of death was ligature strangulation and multiple blunt force injuries.

In an interview with FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs agents on Feb. 6, 2018, Littlebird confessed to fatally strangling the victim. He admitted to tying ropes around the victim’s ankles to prevent her from leaving and then he left the room. When he returned, the two argued some more. Littlebird grabbed the rope, which was now around the victim’s neck, and while standing, pulled on it, strangling her.

Littlebird has four prior domestic abuse conviction on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Dake prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and BIA.

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The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:

Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on June 25 was:

Maxwell West, 29, of Billings, on charges of passing/uttering counterfeit obligations or security of the United States. If convicted of the most serious crime, West faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. He was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the Secret Service. Pacer case reference. 17-141.

Nicholas John Montano, 34, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Montano faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Montano was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Transnational Organized Crime West unit. Pacer case reference. 18-123.

Appearing on June 27 was:

Byrne Martin Mestas, 62, of Billings, Steven Paul Furlong, 49, of Billings, and Jerry Ray Schuster, 55, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth, and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Mestas, Furlong and Schuster face a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. All three co-defendants were detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI task force and the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Pacer case reference. 19-88.

Michael Armando Sanchez, 27, of Bakersfield, Ca, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious crime, Sanchez faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Sanchez was detained pending further proceedings. The case was in investigated by the FBI task force and the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Pacer case reference. 19-87.

Dawn Marie Davis, also known as Dawn Marie Hinebauch, 33, of Laurel, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and distribution of meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Davis faces a minimum five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Davis was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI task force and the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Pacer case reference. 19-89.

Havalah Anne Ireland, 32, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Ireland faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. The case was investigated by the FBI task force and the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Pacer case reference. 19-83.

Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on June 25 was:

Delwin Paul Calflooking, Sr., 37, of Browning, on charges of assault resulting in serious bodily injury, strangulation and assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a dating partner. If convicted of the most serious crime, Calflooking faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Calflooking was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI. Pacer case reference. 19-42.

Appearing on June 26 was:

Nicole Smith, 34, Cut Bank, on charges of possession with intent to distribute. If convicted of the most serious crime, Smith faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release. Smith was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI, Glacier County Sheriff’s Office and Blackfeet Tribal law enforcement. Pacer case reference. 19-46.

If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system.

To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.

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BILLINGS—Nathan Thomas Trujillo, a Denver resident who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine in the Billings community, was sentenced on June 27 to 20 years and eight months in prison and five years of supervised release, said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.

Trujillo pleaded guilty in December to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth, possession with intent to distribute meth and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

In August 2018, drug task force agents began investigating a Billings area dealer, later identified as Trujillo, but who was living under a stolen identity to avoid arrest on an outstanding warrant.  Agents made multiple buys from a co-conspirator and learned that Trujillo traveled to Denver to obtain pound quantities for re-distribution in the Billings area.

Agents executed search warrants on Trujillo’s vehicle and apartment. From the vehicle, agents seized about 429 grams, for about 15 ounces, of meth from his vehicle, a 9mm pistol, a digital scale and plastic baggies. The 429 grams of meth is the equivalent of about 3,432 individual doses. Agents also found additional firearms, illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia. From Trujillo’s apartment, agents seized another firearm and more drug paraphernalia.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the FBI task force.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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BILLINGS—A woman who admitted selling a pound of methamphetamine for $4,500 as part of series of sales was sentenced on Wednesday to four years in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Ashley Dawn Chesmore, 30, of Billings, pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and to possession with intent to distribute meth.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

An investigation beginning in July 2018 by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Drug Enforcement Administration found that Chesmore was distributing drugs, court documents said. A confidential informant and an undercover agent made a total of seven buys from Chesmore, with the last sale involving a pound of meth Chesmore sold for $4,500. A pound of meth is the equivalent of about 3,624 doses.

Investigators learned Chesmore was receiving meth in the mail from a co-conspirator and that one of the parcels came from San Ysidro, CA. All of the meth tested by the DEA was substantially pure.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the Billings Police Department.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime

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WASHINGTON – Attorney General William P. Barr declared a law enforcement emergency in rural Alaska under the Emergency Federal Law Enforcement Assistance Program today, making $6 million immediately available to the state of Alaska for critical law enforcement needs of Alaska Native villages. 

Recognizing that Alaska has the highest per capita crime rate in the country and the unique circumstances of Alaska’s geographical and jurisdictional landscape, the Attorney General authorized additional funding and several long-term measures to support village public safety and victim services.

As the Department develops a comprehensive response to public safety issues in Alaska, Attorney General Barr expressed his commitment to working closely with American Indian and Alaska Native leadership as well as Congressional and state representatives to ensure Departmental solutions are practical and effective.   The Attorney General will also travel to an Indian country location in the lower 48 states in the coming months, recognizing the significant public safety challenges that persist for many Native American communities.

“I want to be sure that the support this Department offers to Alaska Native communities will support solutions identified by the communities themselves,” said Attorney General Barr. “The only way for us to provide effective support is to work in partnership with others. This is true in Alaska and throughout Indian country.”

The $6 million in emergency funding from the Office of Justice Program’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (OJP-BJA) will go toward hiring, equipping, and training Village Public Safety Officers (VPSOs), Village Police Officers (VPOs), and Tribal Police Officers (TPOs) working in rural Alaska, as well as for mobile detention facilities. 

In addition, the Department of Justice Office on Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) will award $4.5 million in funding for 20 officer positions, along with equipment and training, to Alaska Native grantees by the end of July. 

The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and the Office on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) will support Children’s Advocacy Centers (CAC) in rural Alaska’s major hubs, which provide wrap-around services, forensic interviews, and medical exams for child victims.  OVC and OJJDP have identified up to $14 million in available funding for CACs in Alaska and the lower 48 states.

 “In May, when I visited Alaska, I witnessed firsthand the complex, unique, and dire law enforcement challenges the State of Alaska and its remote Alaska Native communities are facing,” said Attorney General Barr.  “With this emergency declaration, I am directing resources where they are needed most and needed immediately, to support the local law enforcement response in Alaska Native communities, whose people are dealing with extremely high rates of violence. Today, I am also directing each component and law enforcement agency of the Justice Department to submit plans within the next 30 days to further support federal, state, and tribal public safety efforts in rural Alaska.  Lives depend on it, and we are committed to seeing a change in this unacceptable, daily reality for Alaska Native people.”

The Attorney General also announced a Rural Alaska Violent Crime Reduction Working Group, led by U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder.  The Working Group will look for ways to build the capacity of federal, state, and tribal law enforcement in rural Alaska and its work will have a particular emphasis on crimes of domestic violence and crimes against children.  BJA is also making an additional $162,000 available to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to establish an additional Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) target site encompassing rural Alaska.

Alaska is home to some of the most remote communities in all of America.  This geographic isolation contributes to law enforcement problems not seen anywhere else in our Nation.  According to one estimate, one-third of Alaskan villages have no local law enforcement personnel at all.  According to a 2016 study funded by the National Institute of Justice, more than four in five American Indian and Alaska Native adults have experienced some form of violence in their lifetime, and more than half of all American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced violence from an intimate partner.  The lack of law enforcement resources results in a high violent crime rate, especially in Alaska Native communities.

Additional near-term measures by Department of Justice components include:

• The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) will issue an award for sexual assault training and technical assistance in Alaska, including training community health aides in Alaska Native villages to perform sexual assault forensic exams and training for victim advocates.  The project will include community sexual assault training, which will address coordinated responses to sexual assault across the community.  This award will also train village-based victim advocates to accompany victims throughout the process, including prosecution, as appropriate.
• OVC is extending their application deadline for the Crime Victim Fund tribal set-aside solicitation (part of the $167 million available to tribes for victim services in FY 2019) to Aug. 16, 2019. This money may be used to fund direct services and advocacy, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis services, children advocacy programs, and elder abuse programs. 
• BJA is extending their application deadline to July 15, 2019, for programs that target mental health/drug addiction, reentry initiatives, and community crime reduction.
• The COPS Office has two grant programs that it will reopen to afford Alaska the opportunity to apply:
  • The Anti-Methamphetamine Program (CAMP) is open to state law enforcement agencies with multijurisdictional reach and interdisciplinary team (e.g., task force) structures, in states with high seizures of precursor chemicals, finished methamphetamine, laboratories, and laboratory dump seizures.
  • The COPS Anti-Heroin Task Force (AHTF) Program is open to state law enforcement agencies with multi-jurisdictional reach and interdisciplinary team (e.g., task force) structures, in states with high per capita rates of primary treatment admissions.

As the Department develops a comprehensive response to public safety issues in Alaska, Attorney General Barr expressed his commitment to working closely with American Indian and Alaska Native leadership as well as Congressional and state representatives to ensure Departmental solutions are practical and effective.   The Attorney General will also travel to an Indian country location in the lower 48 states in the coming months, recognizing the significant public safety challenges that persist for many Native American communities.

“I want to be sure that the support this Department offers to Alaska Native communities will support solutions identified by the communities themselves,” said Attorney General Barr. “The only way for us to provide effective support is to work in partnership with others. This is true in Alaska and throughout Indian country.”

In a memo to all Justice Department component leaders, the Attorney General directed every component and law enforcement agency to submit a plan in the next 30 days to further support these efforts in Alaska, focusing in particular on the following goals:

• Increasing the federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement presence in Alaska and ways to provide more prosecutorial resources for the criminal cases that will result from increased law enforcement presence;
• Reducing violent crime, especially gun violence;
• Decreasing sexual assaults of women and children;
• Providing better immediate and long-term services to victims of crime;
• Cutting off supplies of methamphetamines, opioids, and other illegal drugs;
• Addressing the problem of alcohol abuse and its role in violent crime and crimes against children;
• Increasing addiction prevention and treatment services to those struggling with addictions to drugs and alcohol;
• Providing adequate detention facilities in remote locations; and,
• Incorporating technology into law enforcement efforts to improve response times and decrease travel costs for victims and witnesses.

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BILLINGS—A Miles City man who admitted possessing stolen and shortened firearms in Billings and Miles City was sentenced today to 45 months in prison and three years of supervised release, said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Chet Joseph Leatherberry, 35, pleaded guilty in February to possession of stolen firearms and to possession of unregistered firearms.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

The prosecution said Leatherberry violated firearms laws through a series of offenses. In December 2016, Leatherberry possessed a stolen .380-caliber pistol in Billings. Yellowstone County sheriff’s deputies found the pistol next to Leatherberry’s bed while serving a search warrant on his residence for stolen goods. During the search, officers also found stolen electronic equipment, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Leatherberry told officer that he took the pistol from two people who wanted to sell it, had a few potential buyers and thought it was stolen. The pistol’s lawful owner lives in Bozeman and didn’t realize the gun was gone until he was called by law enforcement.

Leatherberry also admitted that he possessed three modified or shortened firearms in Miles City in July 2018 and additionally possessed two stolen pistols a month later. When arrested on an outstanding warrant in August 2018, Leatherberry told Miles City law enforcement that he had two handguns in a backpack at the time of his arrest. The investigation found that both of the handguns were loaded and had been stolen.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette Stewart prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, Billings Police Department, Miles City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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The Native American Issues Subcommittee convenes on June 25 at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building to discuss violent crime in Indian Country during the U.S. Attorney's National Conference in Washington, D.C. 

WASHINGTON – Attorney General William P. Barr’s Advisory Subcommittee on Native American Issues (NAIS) convened this week during the U.S. Attorney’s National Conference in Washington, D.C., to discuss a wide range of justice issues affecting Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores, Chair, and U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, Vice Chair.

“The Native American Issues Subcommittee is focused on reducing violent crime against women and children in Indian Country, including missing and murdered indigenous persons,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “I am thankful for Attorney General Barr’s leadership on these issues. He understands the law enforcement and jurisdictional challenges faced by Native Americans and Alaska Natives. We look forward to working with him and with our federal, tribal, state and local partners to find viable solutions that will improve public safety in Indian country.”

On Tuesday, the NAIS met with Tara Katuk Mac Lean Sweeney, Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior, and discussed cross-agency collaboration in order to provide more responsive and effective justice services to Indian Country. They further discussed Indian Country case investigations, case intake and tracking databases, and tribal law enforcement resource allocation. The NAIS also reviewed President Trump’s priorities for Indian Country justice. Those priorities include protecting Native American children in the Indian Health Services system, collaboration among Department of Justice, the Department of the Interior, and tribal law enforcement agencies, reducing violent crime, and providing services to help victims to overcome trauma.

On Wednesday, Trent Shores, NAIS Chair and U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma, moderated a panel titled Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women: A Crisis in Urban America & Indian Country. Panelists included Charles Addington, Director of the Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs; Kurt Alme, U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana; Tracy Toulou, Director of the Office of Tribal Justice; Laura Rogers, Acting Director of the Office on Violence Against Women; and Bryan Vorndran, Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI. The panel discussed the development and implementation of protocols to investigate murdered and missing indigenous persons and how to more accurately measure the scope of the problem in both urban America and Indian Country in order to develop strategies to address it.

In August, the subcommittee is scheduled to reconvene in Indian Country in New Mexico.

The NAIS consists of the approximately 53 U.S. Attorneys serving in districts that include Indian Country or one or more federally recognized tribes. The NAIS focuses exclusively on Indian Country issues, both criminal and civil, and makes policy recommendations to the Attorney General regarding public safety and legal issues that impact tribal communities.

The NAIS is the longest standing subcommittee to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee and helps develop, shape, and otherwise implement justice policies affecting Native Americans and Alaska Natives. The NAIS has identified four priority areas: 1) Violent crime 2) Law enforcement resources 3) Drug trafficking and substance abuse, and 4) White collar crime.

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BILLINGS—A Billings man who was convicted of illegally possessing a firearm after he attempted to hide a semi-automatic pistol under a child’s car seat was sentenced today to two years in prison and to three years of supervised release, said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.

Justin John Kraft, 44, pleaded guilty in February to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

Kraft was charged after a traffic stop on June 29, 2018 by a Billings Police officer. Kraft was a passenger in the car and a child was in a car seat. Court records filed in the case said that as the officer approached the car, he noticed Kraft attempt to push something under the child’s car seat. A second officer who also responded noticed a pistol grip under the child’s car seat. Both officers drew their service weapons and ordered everyone out of the car. The firearm under the car seat was a 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a partially obliterated serial number.

Kraft told investigators he had purchased the gun for $200 from a kid off the street and that serial number was removed when he bought it. Kraft was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a felony drug conviction in Yellowstone County in 2011.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Dake prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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GREAT FALLS— Wolf Point resident Andrew Preston Martell, who admitted he had been driving drunk when he crashed his vehicle and killed a passenger on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation last October, was sentenced on June 20 to 40 months in prison and to three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Martell, 32, pleaded guilty in March to involuntary manslaughter.

U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

Prosecutors said the crash occurred at about 10 p.m. on Oct. 1, 2018 on a county road known as Swimming Pool Road, near Wolf Point. Martell had been drinking alcohol heavily throughout the evening and was driving around the reservation with two female passengers. Martell drove off the straight road and crashed in a ditch. The vehicle rotated and rolled end over end coming to rest on the driver’s side. All three occupants were trapped in the vehicle and had to be extricated by emergency responders. One of the passengers was impaled by a crutch in the vehicle and died at the scene. Martell’s blood alcohol concentration was about 0.182 percent.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassady Adams prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Montana Highway Patrol, Wolf Point Police Department and Fort Peck Tribes Law Enforcement.

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BILLINGS—Lame Deer resident Darrell Lee Whiteman, Jr., who admitted to fatally stabbing a person during an argument on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, was sentenced today to 73 months in prison and three years of supervised release,  U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Whiteman, 29, pleaded guilty in February to voluntary manslaughter.

U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided.

Prosecutors said evidence would show that on March 4, 2017, Whiteman was at a Lame Deer residence, drinking with others. Whiteman got into an argument with his girlfriend, and the victim told Whiteman to stop. Whiteman and the victim then got into a fight that was broken up by another person.

The victim went to the kitchen for a drink of water, and Whiteman grabbed a knife from the kitchen. The fight between the two continued. Whiteman reached around another individual who was in between the two and stabbed the victim once in the chest. Whiteman left the residence and the victim later died.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Dake prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.

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GREAT FALLS— A Culbertson man who admitted to strangling a woman during an argument in a vehicle on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in September 2018 was sentenced on June 20 to 22 months in prison and to two years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Elijah Blaine Eagleman, 24, pleaded guilty to strangulation in March.

U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

Prosecutors said evidence would show that on Sept. 8, 2018, Eagleman hit and strangled the victim near Browning, on the Blackfeet Reservation. The victim lost consciousness after Eagleman choked her with his left forearm and does not recall being hit in the face by Eagleman. The victim said in a statement that the two of them had been arguing.

A law enforcement officer responded after a woman reported to law enforcement that she had stopped at a domestic assault at the intersection of U.S. Highways 2 and 89, at the Y, near Browning. She said a man was on top of a woman, who appeared to be trying to wave her down. The officer approached the vehicle and saw that the victim, who was the driver, had fresh bruises on her face and was crying. The victim was treated at the Indian Health Service and released the next morning.

In an interview with an agent, the victim said Eagleman had wrapped his forearm around her neck and pulled her backward into his seat, choking her. The agent observed injuries to the victim’s face and neck as being consistent with a strangulation assault.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette Stewart prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Blackfeet Tribal Police.

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BILLINGS—A Garryowen woman who admitted killing a man by running over him with a minivan as he was walking along a road on the Crow Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and to five years of supervised release, said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.

Vernelle Lynn Badbear, 36, pleaded guilty in October to second degree murder in the November 2016 death of the victim.

U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided.

Court records filed by the prosecution said that a highway road painter found a body on Highway 451 near Wyola on Nov. 12, 2016. The body was identified through tattoos. Knowing that the deceased had been in a relationship with Badbear and lived nearby, law enforcement officers began an investigation with her.

Badbear initially told investigators she and the victim had argued on Nov. 4, he had left the house and that she had not seen him since. After further questioning, Badbear admitted she had run over the victim.

Badbear admitted that she got upset with the victim because he was drinking alcohol when he was supposed to watch the children. The victim left the house and began walking down the road. Badbear admitted driving after the victim in her minivan, hitting him and then running over him. An autopsy determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma consistent with having been hit and run over by a vehicle and that it would have taken some time for the victim to die.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Suek prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.

 

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Montana U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, left, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Smith at the 2019 Department of Justice Deputy Director's Award Ceremony in Washington D.C.

WASHINGTON – Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Montana was one of 172 members of the Department of Justice recognized by Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, and Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director James Crowell, IV at the 35th Director’s Awards Ceremony today in Washington D.C.

The District of Montana was one of 31 districts represented at the ceremony which was held in the Great Hall at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building. AUSA Smith was recognized for his work on a case involving public access for a popular trail into the Lee Metcalf Wilderness.

In his prepared remarks, Deputy Attorney General Rosen told the awardees, “Today’s honorees have earned the esteem of their colleagues.  But most importantly, you have earned the gratitude of your fellow citizens — whose communities you have made safer, whose lives you have improved, and whose trust you have rewarded.”

In his prepared remarks, EOUSA Director Crowell said, “The Department of Justice is in truth a deployed force.  Your work isn’t easy, but it is vital to the functioning and enduring nature of our democracy.  As federal prosecutors, we are held to a higher standard, a standard that requires us to ensure that we uphold the rule of law and the fundamental rules of fairness in every trial, every settlement, every plea, and every legal argument in which we are involved.”

In the public access case, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in June affirmed a ruling by U.S District Judge Sam E. Haddon that the Forest Service possessed an easement by prescription for itself and the public on a trail known as the Indian Creek Trail, in the Madison Ranger District of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. The trail provides public access into the Lee Metcalf Wilderness.

AUSA Smith argued the case before the Circuit Court.

“Mark and his team worked tirelessly on behalf of the United States to protect the rights of the public to access and enjoy public lands. This award is well deserved,” said U.S. Attorney Alme.

The case began in 2014 when the Wonder Ranch, LLC, sued the United States under the Quiet Title Act, claiming that the trail, which crosses its 80-acre parcel east of Cameron, was used by the public by permission of the landowner, and that no public right of access existed. The United States countersued, claiming that a prescriptive easement across the Wonder Ranch for the public and the Forest Service to use the trail had been clearly established through many decades of stock, recreational and commercial use.

After an eight-day trial in 2016, the District Court ruled for the government that a public easement had been established and maintained through generations of use of the trail.

EOUSA provides oversight, general executive assistance, and direction to the 94 United States Attorneys’ offices around the country. For more information on EOUSA and its mission, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao.

 

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HELENA—A Helena man who admitted receiving child pornography was sentenced today to 121 months in prison and to a lifetime of supervised release, said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.

William Sears Stebbins, 63, pleaded guilty in April to receipt of child porn.

Senior U.S. District Judge Charles Lovell presided. Judge Lovell also ordered Stebbins to pay $21,000 restitution and to forfeit a tablet.

The case began in September 2018 when agents from the Helena Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force got a CyberTipline report from Google that a user had uploaded child porn files, prosecution court records said. Google also provided information that Stebbins was the user of the email account.

An investigation found that the email account had about 6,000 child porn images and that Stebbins, who had worked in Bozeman, had recently moved to Helena to live with a relative. A search of the relative’s home found that Stebbins was in a camper in the yard. Agents seized a tablet found in the camper, and a search of the tablet determined that it contained about 900 images child porn. Stebbins admitted to investigators that the email account was his.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bartleson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, the Helena Police Department, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations.

 

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GREAT FALLS—Four men convicted in the 2017 theft of explosives intended for a Fourth of July fireworks display in Great Falls were sentenced this week to terms ranging from probation to prison, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

The defendants each pleaded guilty earlier this year to crimes associated with the theft of $18,000 worth of commercial fireworks from a trailer in Great Falls. The explosives were intended to be used at the City of Great Falls’ Fourth of July display. On July 3, 2017, a man called the Great Falls Police Department to report that someone had stolen the fireworks. The man had locked the trailer but when he arrived at the trailer during evening of July 3, he noticed someone had cut the lock.

U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided at the sentencings.

On June 12, Judge Morris sentenced Kris Harding, 48, of Sun Prairie, to three years of probation and to 200 hours of community service. Harding pleaded guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of explosives. Harding was prohibited from possessing explosives because of a prior felony conviction.

Judge Morris also sentenced Rand Emineth, 27, of Great Falls, to 18 months in prison, three years of supervised release and 200 hours of community service. Emineth pleaded guilty to possession of stolen explosives.

On June 13, Judge Morris sentenced Shevyn Eugene Marshall, 35, of Great Falls, to six months in prison, three years of supervised release and 400 hours of community service. Marshall pleaded guilty to possession of stolen explosives.

Judge Morris also sentenced William James Outten, 27, of Great Falls, to 16 months in prison, three years of supervised release and 200 hours of supervised release. Outten pleaded guilty to possession of stolen explosives.

On July 4, 2017, law enforcement began receiving information about the fireworks theft and that Harding may have been involved, the prosecution said. A witness told investigators that he helped Harding and Outten, who was Harding’s roommate, unload about a dozen totes of fireworks from Harding’s pickup truck into their living room in Sun Prairie.

Law enforcement found fireworks in Harding’s pickup and a label on the explosives identified that they were from a Helena company that had supplied the fireworks for the Fourth of July show.

On July 5, 2017, agents received additional information that Emineth was in possession of stolen fireworks. The agents learned that Emineth had arrived at a home in Great Falls on the evening of July 2, 2017 and unloaded plastic tubes that contained fireworks and detonator devices. Officers went to the home and found Emineth, who told them Outten had been trying to rid of fireworks and had called him to inform him that police had searched the Sun Prairie home.

In addition, a man went to the Great Falls Police Department on July 11, 207 and wanted to turn in stolen fireworks. The man said Emineth had come to his home mid-day on July 2, 2017 and wanted to store bags in his shed. The man told officers that Emineth placed five bags in the shed and left. The man then learned about the stolen fireworks, went to the shed and found the fireworks along with yellow plastic control boxes. The man took the bags, which contained fireworks with the same label as the Helena company’s, to the police station.

And on July 12, 2017, another man contacted the police and said that co-defendant Marshall had provided him with some of the stolen fireworks and that he wanted to return them to the police department. The man dropped off the fireworks and agents found that they too, contained the Helena company’s label. The man told police that Marshall asked him if he wanted to buy fireworks. The man asked if the explosives were the stolen fireworks mentioned on the news, and Marshall said that they were. Marshall told the man he had paid $100 for the fireworks and showed him the explosives. Marshall admitted to officers that Emineth had approached him about the stolen fireworks and had placed them in the car he was driving but that they did not exchange money.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Great Falls Police Department.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

 

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BILLINGS—Stephen Phillip Casher, a former Rocky Mountain Bank official, pleaded not guilty to multiple crimes in an alleged scheme to defraud the bank, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said today.

An indictment charges Casher, 45, of Billings, with two counts of bank fraud, one count of money laundering and one count of blackmail. The indictment is merely an accusation, and Casher is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided and continued Casher’s release pending further proceedings.

If convicted of the most serious crime, Casher faces a maximum 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine and five years of supervised release.

The indictment alleges Casher, who was Rocky Mountain Bank’s market president, defrauded the bank in September 2014 by approving a bank loan to Larry “L.J.” Price, for which Price was a guarantor, without disclosing the existence to the bank of other outside loans that Casher had arranged and was aware of. The indictment further alleges that Casher in February 2016 approved a bank loan to an entity controlled by Price without disclosing to the bank additional outside loans he and others had made to Price and without disclosing information concerning Price’s true net worth and cash liquidity.

The indictment also alleges Casher engaged in a monetary transaction that involved property derived from the bank fraud and that he demanded and received interest in real estate from an individual under a threat of informing about a violation of the law.

Pacer case reference. 19-65.

The progress of this may monitored through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.

  

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