District of Montana

BILLINGS—A Birney resident with a history of domestic abuse convictions was sentenced today to 25 years in prison and five years of supervised release in the strangulation death last year of a woman on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Randy Lee Littlebird, 36, pleaded guilty in July to second degree murder, strangulation and domestic abuse by habitual offender.

U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided.

The prosecution said in court records that 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, 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 convictions on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation.

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

XXX

BILLINGS – The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. State, tribal and local agencies in Montana will receive a total of $1,236,380 to support public safety activities. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.

“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”

The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.

“I am pleased that 11 of Montana’s state, tribal and local law enforcement agencies will be receiving these grants to support public safety, including drug task forces around the state that are working hard to reduce meth related crime. These federal awards provide critical funding to help our law enforcement partners make our communities safe,” U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

The following Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants were awarded to the following agencies in the District of Montana:

Montana Board of Crime Control, $914,034; City of Great Falls, $26,189; City of Missoula, $66,788; City of Havre, $10,372; Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, $22,247; City of Billings, $84,717; Flathead County, $28,208; City of Helena, $43,790; City of Kalispell, $10,279; Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, $12,672; and City-County of Butte-Silver Bow, $17,084.

Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.

The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

###

GREAT FALLS—A Great Falls man who admitted drug trafficking and firearms crimes after law enforcement officers responded to a report of drug activity at a local hotel was sentenced today to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Gregory George Denny, 47, pleaded guilty in August 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 M. Morris presided.

Law enforcement officers responded on Jan. 21, 2018 to a report of potential drug activity at two rooms at a Great Falls hotel and found Denny in one of the rooms. An officer felt a suspected meth pipe in a jacket he was handing to Denny. After getting a search warrant, officers found baggies of meth in the coat, a plastic vial with marijuana and a glass pipe with white residue. Officers also found additional bags of meth, two cellular phones, $900 in cash, a scale, a knife and a hand grenade. And officers found four firearms and numerous rounds of ammunition on the bed. A search of Denny’s phones determined there were extensive communications involving drug distribution, including messages where Denny was negotiating multi-pound meth deals. Other messages indicated Denny negotiated selling meth for firearms and vice versa.

Witnesses told law enforcement that Denny had been dealing meth since at least 2017 and typically possessed firearms.

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

XXX

WASHINGTON – Attorney General William P. Barr and Justice Department leadership today announced the recipients of the Third Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing, recognizing the exceptional work of 19 law enforcement officers and deputies from 12 jurisdictions across the country.

Deputy Ross Jessop, of the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office, in Montana, was recognized for his action and dedication to duty in saving the life of a kidnapped baby. In July 2018, the Sheriff’s Office received a call about a man with a gun, who had fled in a vehicle with his girlfriend’s infant son. One hour later the suspect appeared back on the scene without the baby. The suspect said he killed and buried the baby; but his irrational statements led investigators to search for the missing child.  During Deputy Jessop’s search in more than a million acres of forest, he heard a faint whimper, and found a baby boy lying face down. To his surprise, the baby was alive and uninjured. There is no question Deputy Jessop’s instincts, perseverance, and dedication saved the child’s life.

“Honoring and supporting the work of law enforcement of­ficers and deputies is a top priority for the Trump Administration, and today is an opportunity for me to personally express my gratitude and commitment to those who risk their lives daily to protect our communities,” said Attorney General Barr. “The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing honors exceptional police officers and the vital public service they provide. The brave men and women in law enforcement are engaged in an unrelenting and often unacknowledged fight to keep our communities safe each and every day. It is an honor to thank them for their service.”

“I want to congratulate Deputy Jessop on receiving the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing and the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office team for its outstanding response to find this kidnapped baby. Because of Deputy Jessop’s determination and commitment to public safety, this baby boy is alive, despite being left for dead for about nine hours in 44-degree temperatures,” U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

President Donald J. Trump established clear directives for the Department of Justice – with three Executive Orders – demonstrating his strong support of the law enforcement community. These Executive Orders commit the Department to working in tandem with state and local law enforcement to restore the rule of law, reduce violent crime, dismantle criminal gangs, and combat the growing drug epidemic. Today the Department of Justice continues to support the President’s directive to honor law enforcement officers by announcing the third annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing.

The Attorney General’s Award recognizes individual state, local, and tribal sworn rank-and-file police officers and deputies for exceptional efforts in policing. The awarded officers and deputies have demonstrated active engagement with the community in one of three areas: criminal investigations, field operations or innovations in community policing. The Department received 199 nominations for 414 individuals ranging from state police departments, to local police, to campus public safety agencies. This award highlights the work that troopers, officers and deputies do to prevent, intervene in, and respond to crime and public safety issues. The individuals recognized today include:

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS

Detective William Maldonado of the Suffolk County Police Department, New York:

Detective William Maldonado is being recognized posthumously for his effort in leading the criminal investigation into the violent trans­national street gang MS-13. Detective Maldonado was assigned to assist in the investigation of the disappearance of a young man. Intelligence gathered by Detective Maldonado indicated the missing boy was a murder victim of MS-13. Without the detective’s work, along with his team, the murder spree would no doubt have continued. Instead, several dozen people were arrested, charged with 17 murders, the Suffolk County MS-13 Sailor Clique was eliminated, and several other cliques were disrupted. Maldonado accomplished this while battling cancer, and rarely missed work. He succumbed to his illness in 2018, but not before arrests were made in the cases.

Detectives George Duarte and Jeffrey Richards of the Providence Police Department, Rhode Island:

Detectives George Duarte and Jeffrey Richards are being recognized for their extraordinary investigative work in solving an abduction and sexual assault case of a 14-year-old girl. Their investigation not only solved that case, but also led to solving several other cases of sexual assault by the same suspect. Because of their work, the detectives were able to have this vicious predator removed from the community, victims of unreported crimes were helped, and justice was brought to a number of other victims.

Detectives Sandra Marquez and Kenneth Sealy of the Aventura Police Department, Florida:

Detectives Kenneth Sealy and Sandra Marquez are being recognized for their investigative work in solving several high-dollar fraud schemes targeting multiple businesses and retail stores. During an intense investigation involving a large credit card fraud ring operating in south Florida, the detectives identified approximately $194,000 in fraudulent transactions and seized another $218,000.  Another case involved money laundering and widespread credit card fraud committed in multiple states, which included a loss of almost $4 million over three years. The detectives are continuing this important work in coordination with several federal agencies.

FIELD OPERATIONS

Officers Evan Jurgensen, Nicholas Kelly, Rachel Mynier, and John Yenchak of the Prince William County Police Department, Virginia:

In November 2018, the Prince William County Police Department received a call reporting an active shooter. Within minutes of responding to the scene, Officers Jurgensen, Kelly, Mynier and Yenchak had to take cover from gunfire. Officer Mynier noticed movement on the roof of a residence and transmitted a warning to incoming units, and in doing so saved lives. After the shooter ignored officers’ commands, he was eventually struck and fell to the ground. Although officers feared a possible second shooter, they exposed themselves to harm once again to extract the shooter for medical treatment, and also pulled an occupant from the residence to safety. The heroism demonstrated by each officer represents true courage.

Deputy Richard Hassna of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, California:

Deputy Richard Hassna is being recognized for his innovative use of small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for public safety operations. In 2018, during the deadly Camp Fire in Butte County, Deputy Hassna led more than 16 unmanned aerial vehicle teams, and conducted 517 flights in two days, taking more than 70,000 images. These images were stitched into a map that allowed residents to see the damage to their property, without being exposed to danger. This was likely the largest response of small UAS’s to a disaster scene in U.S. history. Deputy Hassna has also developed tactics and training for this technology that has redefined high-risk tactical operations and air support as we know it.

Deputy Ross Jessop of the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office, Montana:

Deputy Jessop is being recognized for his action and dedication to duty in saving the life of a kidnapped baby. In July 2018, the Sheriff’s Office received a call about a man with a gun, who had fled in a vehicle with his girlfriend’s infant son. One hour later the suspect appeared back on the scene without the baby. The suspect said he killed and buried the baby; but his irrational statements led investigators to search for the missing child.  During Deputy Jessop’s search in more than a million acres of forest, he heard a faint whimper, and found a baby boy lying face down. To his surprise, the baby was alive and uninjured. There is no question Deputy Jessop’s  instincts, perseverance, and dedication saved the child’s life.

Officers Aaron Bates and Alexander Stotik of the Cohasset Police Department, Massachusetts:

Officers Bates and Stotik are being recognized for their courageous actions that saved the life of a woman who was being brutally attacked. The officers were dispatched to a home where neighbors complained of loud noises and a fight.  After investigating, the officers heard a muffled scream, kicked in a locked door, and saw what they described as an “attempted murder in progress.” After a heated struggle, the officers were able to subdue the suspect, place him under arrest, and get medical attention for the victim. The officers exhibited extraordinary valor, bravery, courage, and professionalism in the face of extreme danger that would no doubt have resulted in the murder of the victim.

INNOVATIONS IN COMMUNITY POLICING

Officer Phalon McFate of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Nevada:

Officer McFate developed Project Daybreak, an initiative used to address violent crime-hot spots in downtown Las Vegas neighborhoods. Since it started, Project Daybreak has significantly contributed to decreasing violent crime – down by 50 percent in these neighborhoods.  Through positive police interactions, Officer McFate was able to create transparency and build trust in neighborhoods, where these previously did not exist. The success of Project Daybreak is a direct result of Officer McFate’s passion and commitment to her community.

Officer Jesse Guardiola of the Tulsa Police Department, Oklahoma:

Officer Guardiola is being recognized for the Hispanic outreach program he has developed, which provides survival Spanish language training, and educates law enforcement and the community on the immigrant Hispanic culture. The program has received national recognition and is being promoted as a national model for Hispanic community outreach. Through his efforts, Officer Guardiola is building bridges and making a difference in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Detective Anthony Roberson of the Providence Police Department, Rhode Island:

Detective Roberson is being recognized for his use of community policing initiatives that build partnerships between law enforcement and local businesses to support underserved families.  The “Shop with a Cop” program has now served 300 children.  The “Handshake Initiative” has grown from 40 to 200 mentors, and is benefiting families of all backgrounds, across the city. Through these programs, Detective Roberson is giving back to his community, increasing partnerships and building bridges between law enforcement, families and businesses. 

Officer Jonathan Plunkett of the Irving Police Department, Texas:

In August 2016, after the murder of five police officers in Dallas, Officer Plunkett began working on an outreach initiative to bridge the gap between the African-American community and law enforcement. The idea was to connect with the community in places where residents would feel comfortable, and be open to sharing their concerns and engaging in dialogue. Officer Plunkett knew that barbershops would work.  The initiative, which began with one shop, has now increased to 16 shops, and is known as ShopTalk. Through ShopTalk, Officer Plunkett has created a way to build mutual trust and respect between law enforcement and community members who had not been reached with traditional police outreach efforts.

Detective Kathleen Lucero of the Isleta Tribal Police Department, New Mexico:

Detective Lucero is being recognized for community policing initiatives that provide resources to impoverished youth, and build connections between law enforcement and the community.  Through the annual Reaching for A Star initiative, Detective Lucero provides gifts and food to more than 150 children and their families during the holiday season.  Through her Camp Courage program, 60 children participate in a youth camp every summer. Detective Lucero’s on-and off-duty dedication cannot be overstated and has made a true impact on the community. 

Officer Troy Quick of the Conyers Police Department, Georgia:

Officer Quick is making a lasting impact on the youth within his community. As a School Resource Officer at Rockdale County High School, Officer Quick has been able to help a number of students leave gang life. Whether it is though the mentoring sessions he coordinates for students, donating items to families in need, or just taking an interest in student’s daily lives, Officer Quick is a true example of dedication and service.

# # #

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 Nov. 26 was:

Lynn Robert Kuntz, 40, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute meth and distribution of meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Kuntz faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Kuntz was released pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Pacer case reference. 19-144.

Patrick Bryan Cleveland, 39, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth, possession with intent to distribute meth and distribution of meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Cleveland faces a minimum mandatory five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Cleveland was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Pacer case reference. 19-144.

Jonathan Coey Beaumont, Sr., 44, of Pryor, on charges of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor. If convicted of the most serious crime, Beaumont faces a minimum mandatory 30 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and at least five years of supervised release. Beaumont was released pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI. Pacer case reference. 19-143.

Roberto Castillo-Iscoa, 37, of Honduras, on charges of illegal re-entry. If convicted of the most serious crime, Castillo-Iscoa faces a maximum two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release. Castillo-Iscoa was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Pacer case reference. 19-126.

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.

 

 XXX

 

 

Attorney General William P. Barr today launched a national strategy to address missing and murdered Native Americans.  The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Initiative places MMIP coordinators in 11 U.S. Attorney’s offices who will develop protocols for a more coordinated law enforcement response to missing cases.  The plan also calls for the deployment of the FBI’s most advanced response capabilities when needed, improved data collection and analysis, and training to support local response efforts.  

Attorney General Barr made the announcement during a visit to the Flathead Reservation in Montana, home of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT).  In addition, the Attorney General met with the CSKT MMIP working group and the CSKT Tribal Council.  He was joined by U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, vice chair of the Attorney General’s Native American Issues Subcommittee (NAIS), whose office has been in the forefront of this issue. 

“American Indian and Alaska Native people suffer from unacceptable and disproportionately high levels of violence, which can have lasting impacts on families and communities.  Native American women face particularly high rates of violence, with at least half suffering sexual or intimate-partner violence in their lifetime.  Too many of these families have experienced the loss of loved ones who went missing or were murdered,” said Attorney General William P. Barr.  “This important initiative will further strengthen the federal, state, and tribal law enforcement response to these continuing problems.” 

“The FBI recognizes the violence that tribal communities face and is fully committed to working with our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners to provide support to those impacted by these crimes,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray.  “We are dedicated to delivering justice and to the FBI’s mission to protect all the people we serve.  We reaffirm our focus on allocating resources to serve Native American needs.”

“In Montana, we recognize that Native American women face too much violence, and too often go missing and are murdered,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana Kurt Alme.  “The missing need to be found and brought home, murderers and abusers must be brought to justice, and violence against women must stop.  With the Attorney General’s leadership, this initiative will provide an improved, nationally coordinated response when a Native American goes missing.  It will complement the steps taken by our office this year to bring public training to all seven Montana reservations on how to find missing loved ones; to partner with the Montana Department of Justice (MTDOJ), the FBI and the BIA to provide two statewide trainings on using missing persons databases and alerts; and to partner with the MTDOJ and the tribes on the statewide missing indigenous persons task force to collectively find solutions to this issue.”

“Tribal leaders from across America have spoken, and we have listened,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores for the Northern District of Oklahoma and NAIS Chairman.  “Now is the time for action.  For far too long Native Americans and Alaska Natives, especially women, have experienced unacceptably high rates of violence.  Attorney General Barr’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Initiative will enhance public safety partnerships in Indian Country while also helping provide justice to families mourning a murder victim or assistance to communities searching for a missing friend or neighbor.”

“We’re honored to host Attorney General William Barr to the homeland of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes,” said CSKT Chairman Ronald Trahan.  “There are many issues we’d like to discuss including one that is particularly important, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons efforts.  Knowing that Attorney General Barr is working to secure the safety of our people brings us comfort in the face of a challenging issue.”

The strategy has three parts:

Establish MMIP coordinators: The Department of Justice is investing an initial $1.5 million to hire 11 MMIP coordinators in 11 states to serve with all U.S. Attorney’s offices in those states, and others who request assistance.  The states are Alaska, Arizona, Montana, Oklahoma, Michigan, Utah, Nevada, Minnesota, Oregon, New Mexico, and Washington state.  MMIP coordinators will work closely with federal, tribal, state and local agencies to develop common protocols and procedure for responding to reports of missing or murdered indigenous people.  The first MMIP coordinator is already on board in Montana. 

Specialized FBI Rapid Deployment Teams: The strategy will bring needed tools and resources to law enforcement.  Upon request by a tribal, state, or local law enforcement agency the FBI will provide expert assistance based upon the circumstances of a missing indigenous persons case.  FBI resources and personnel which may be activated to assist with cases include: Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) teams, Cellular Analysis Support Teams, Evidence Response Teams, Cyber Agents for timely analysis of digital evidence/social media, Victim Services Division Response Teams, and others.  MMIP coordinators will assist in developing protocols.

Comprehensive Data Analysis: The department will perform in-depth analysis of federally supported databases and analyze data collection practices to identify opportunities to improve missing persons data and share the results of this analysis with our partners in this effort.

More broadly, the MMIP Initiative will involve a coordinated effort by more than 50 U.S. Attorneys on NAIS, the FBI, the Office of Tribal Justice, with support from the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).   

Today’s announcement follows the August NAIS meeting in New Mexico and OVW listening session in Michigan, where Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons and violence against women in Indian country were prevalent topics of discussion by U.S. Attorneys, OVW officials, and tribal representatives.

Attorney General William P. Barr today launched a national strategy to address missing and murdered Native Americans.  The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Initiative places MMIP coordinators in 11 U.S. Attorney’s offices who will develop protocols for a more coordinated law enforcement response to missing cases.  The plan also calls for the deployment of the FBI’s most advanced response capabilities when needed, improved data collection and analysis, and training to support local response efforts. 

Attorney General Barr made the announcement during a visit to the Flathead Reservation in Montana, home of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.  In addition, the Attorney General met with the CSKT MMIP working group and the CSKT Tribal Council.  He was joined by U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, vice chair of the Attorney General’s Native American Issues Subcommittee, whose office has been in the forefront of this issue.  Native American women face high rates of violence. At least half have suffered sexual violence in their lifetime or violence by an intimate partner. 

“American Indian and Alaska Native people suffer from unacceptable and disproportionately high levels of violence, which can have lasting impacts on families and communities. Native American women face particularly high rates of violence, with at least half suffering sexual or intimate-partner violence in their lifetime.  Too many of these families have experienced the loss of loved ones who went missing or were murdered,” said Attorney General William P. Barr.  “This important initiative will further strengthen the federal, state, and tribal law enforcement response to these continuing problems.” 

“In Montana, we recognize that Native American women face too much violence, and too often go missing and are murdered,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana Kurt Alme.  “The missing need to be found and brought home, murderers and abusers must be brought to justice, and violence against women must stop.  With the Attorney General’s leadership, this initiative will provide an improved, nationally coordinated response when a Native American goes missing.  It will complement the steps taken by our office this year to bring public training to all seven Montana reservations on how to find missing loved ones; to partner with the Montana Department of Justice (MTDOJ), the FBI and the BIA to provide two statewide trainings on using missing persons databases and alerts; and to partner with the MTDOJ and the tribes on the statewide missing indigenous persons task force to collectively find solutions to this issue.”

The strategy has three parts:

Establish MMIP coordinators: The Department of Justice is investing an initial $1.5 million to hire 11 MMIP coordinators in 11 states to serve with all U.S. Attorney’s offices in those states, and others who request assistance.  The states are Alaska, Arizona, Montana, Oklahoma, Michigan, Utah, Nevada, Minnesota, Oregon, New Mexico, and Washington state. MMIP coordinators will work closely with federal, tribal, state and local agencies to develop common protocols and procedure for responding to reports of missing or murdered indigenous people.  The first MMIP coordinator is already on board in Montana. 

Specialized FBI Rapid Deployment Teams: The strategy will bring needed tools and resources to law enforcement.  Upon request by a tribal, state, or local law enforcement agency the FBI will provide expert assistance based upon the circumstances of a missing indigenous persons case.  FBI resources and personnel which may be activated to assist with cases include: Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) teams, Cellular Analysis Support Teams, Evidence Response Teams, Cyber Agents for timely analysis of digital evidence/social media, Victim Services Division Response Teams, and others.   MMIP coordinators will assist in developing protocols.

Comprehensive Data Analysis: The department will perform in-depth analysis of federally supported databases and analyze data collection practices to identify opportunities to improve missing persons data and share the results of this analysis with our partners in this effort.

More broadly, the MMIP Initiative will involve a coordinated effort by more than 50 U.S. Attorneys on the Attorney General’s Native American Issues Subcommittee (NAIS), the FBI, and the Office of Tribal Justice, with support from the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).  

Today’s announcement follows the August NAIS meeting in New Mexico and OVW listening session in Michigan, where Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons and violence against women in Indian country were prevalent topics of discussion by U.S. Attorneys, OVW officials, and tribal representatives.

“Tribal leaders from across America have spoken, and we have listened,” said Trent Shores, NAIS Chairman and U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma.  “Now is the time for action. For far too long Native Americans and Alaska Natives, especially women, have experienced unacceptably high rates of violence. Attorney General Barr’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Initiative will enhance public safety partnerships in Indian Country while also helping provide justice to families mourning a murder victim or assistance to communities searching for a missing friend or neighbor.”

“We’re honored to host Attorney General William Barr to the homeland of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes,” said CSKT Chairman Ronald Trahan. “There are many issues we’d like to discuss including one that is particularly important, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons efforts. Knowing that Attorney General Barr is working to secure the safety of our people brings us comfort in the face of a challenging issue.”

BILLINGS—The Guardians Project anti-corruption task force today welcomed top officials from the U.S. Department of Interior and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Offices of Inspector General to a meeting about Montana’s efforts to fight federal program fraud, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

DOI Inspector General Mark Lee Greenblatt and HHS Assistant Inspector General of Investigations Christian J. Schrank joined U.S. Attorney Alme and members of the Guardians task force to review the program and to recognize the contribution of tribal law enforcement. The Guardians Project investigates and prosecutes persons attempting to use federal funds for private gain.

Since 2013, the Guardians Project has resulted in more than 120 felony convictions, with 85 percent of those convicted receiving some term of incarceration, $3.6 million in fines, $16.5 million in restitution, $311,000 in forfeitures and $1 million in civil judgments. Prosecuted crimes include conspiracy, bribery, fraud, embezzlement, extortion, obstruction of justice, money laundering, blackmail and tax evasion.

“The Guardians Project is committed to making sure federal funds are used for the benefit of the intended recipients. In addition to prosecuting misuse of federal funds, task force members have provided training to Montana’s tribal governments and communities on how to properly administer grant funds, how to report misuse and how the reporters of misuse can be protected under whistleblower statutes,” U.S. Attorney Alme said.

“I want to thank our dedicated task force members and tribal law enforcement and tribal officials for working together to root out theft and to make sure the money is used as intended to help fund important programs, like Head Start,” U.S. Attorney Alme said. “In particular, I would like to recognize Ken Trottier, supervisory criminal inspector for the Fort Peck Tribes, for his exemplary work.”

The Guardians task force presented Ken Trottier with its first ever Guardians Shield Award in recognition of his work and collaboration with the task force.

"The Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General has a long-standing commitment to the Guardians Task Force. We look forward to continuing our joint efforts with the task force partners to identify fraud, hold wrongdoers accountable, and ensure Native American communities receive the intended funds and services," said Mark Lee Greenblatt, Inspector General for the Department of Interior Office of the Inspector General.

“Federal health and human services programs are vital to communities across Montana. Therefore, it is imperative program funds are used for their intended Indian Country purposes,” said Christian J. Schrank, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations at the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  “We will continue working with our federal and tribal law enforcement partners in the Guardians Project to address fraud, theft, and misuse of funds.” 

This past year, some of the Guardians Project investigations included the following cases:

• An overtime pay scheme in the Blackfeet Tribe’s Head Start program led to the convictions of six persons, including managers and the former tribal chairman. The theft of $174,000 hurt children enrolled in Head Start by prohibiting book purchases, barring the ability to obtain teaching materials and cutting food nutrition programs.
•  The former chairwoman and the former treasurer of the Montana Native Women’s Coalition Board were charged in an indictment accusing them of stealing federal grant funds to make unapproved trips to Las Vegas and to receive other unauthorized benefits. The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The Lame Deer-based coalition helps Native American victims of domestic and sexual violence.
• An ex-law enforcement officer for the Fort Peck Tribes was convicted and sentenced to six months in prison for stealing $40,000 from a tribal program intended to help youth and for failing to pay taxes. The former officer proposed creating a Family Justice Center to help troubled youth but spent the money on personal items and services. The former officer also was ordered to pay $40,000 restitution to the tribe and $18,050 to the IRS.
• The former president of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe pleaded guilty to wire fraud and false claims conspiracy in a travel scheme in which he admitted receiving $20,000 in improper reimbursements.

The Guardians Project, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, works with the Office of Inspector General from DOI, HHS, the Department of Justice, the Department of Agriculture, Department of Education, the FBI, IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division and the Environmental Protection Agency.

XXX

GREAT FALLS—Five Mexican citizens who were arrested on November 17 in Glacier County by law enforcement investigating suspected alien smuggling appeared in court today on immigration-related charges, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

The five defendants were among a total of 19 suspected aliens who were picked up and transported to the Sweetgrass Border Patrol Station for processing.

Four of the defendants, Alberto Guillen-Gordillo, 22, Omero Banderas-Rodriguez, 39, Josue Bermudez-Lopez, 26, and Samuel Velasco-Tovar, 28, had an initial appearance on a criminal complaint before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston. The complaint charges the four with illegal transport of aliens and with conspiracy to transport aliens. If convicted of the most serious crime, the defendants face a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

A fifth defendant, Ma Mercedes Rivera-Gutierrez, 39, had an initial appearance on a criminal complaint charging her with illegal reentry. If convicted of the most serious crime, Rivera-Gutierrez faces a maximum two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

All defendants were detained pending further proceedings.

Court documents filed in the case said that in October, law enforcement received information about suspicious room rental activity at a Cut Bank hotel by several Mexican nationals over approximately the prior six months. The investigation led Border Patrol agents to suspect a group of aliens was coming into the country illegally from Canada. On November 17, agents made near-simultaneous traffic stops of two SUVs at about 11:15 p.m. In the first vehicle, driven by Omero Banderas-Rodriguez, were nine passengers. During the stop of the second vehicle, all occupants ran into a nearby field. Agents found eight individuals in the field within a few minutes. One of the persons arrested in the field was Josue Bermudez Lopez. Another defendant, Alberto Guillen-Gordillo, was arrested at the hotel room where the subjects had been staying.

Border Patrol agents arrested Rivera-Gutierrez during a search of the field for occupants who ran from the vehicle.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeff Starnes, Paulette Stewart and Ethan Plaut are prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol and the Glacier County Sheriff’s Office.

The complaints are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Pacer case reference. MJ-19-82 and MJ-19-83.

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.

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 Cavan and pleading not guilty on November 15:

• John Jay Dudik, 66, of Billings on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  If convicted of the most serious crime, Dudik faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10,000,000 fine and at least five years of supervised release.  Dudik was detained pending further proceedings.  The case  was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.  Pacer case reference.  19-105.

Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Johnston and pleading not guilty on November 14:

• Jordan Alexander Werk, 31, of Fort Belknap, on charges of assault of a dating partner resulting in substantial bodily injury and strangulation.  If convicted of the most serious crime, Werk faces 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.  Werk was detained pending further proceedings.  The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services.  Pacer case reference.  19-82.

Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate DeSoto and pleading not guilty on November 14:

• Rigonaldo Diaz Chixna, 25, of Mexico, on charges of illegal reentry.  If convicted of the most serious crime, Chixna faces two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.  Chixna was detained pending further proceedings.  The case was investigated by Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Homeland Security, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  Pacer case reference.  19-26

Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Johnston and pleading not guilty on November 12:

• Shawn Andrew Andersen, 42, of Cut Bank, on charges of advertisement of child pornography, attempted distribution and receipt of child pornography, attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, and prohibited person in possession of a firearm.  If convicted of the most serious crime, Andersen faces life in prison, a $250,000 fine and lifetime supervised release.  Andersen was detained pending further proceedings.  The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Pacer case reference.  19-79.

• Katie Lynn Big Bow, 44, of Box Elder, on charges of assault of a dating partner resulting in substantial bodily injury and assault with a dangerous weapon.  If convicted of the most serious crime, Big Bow faces 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.  Big Bow was detained pending further proceedings.  The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement Services.  Pacer case reference.  19-80.

Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Cavan and pleading not guilty on November 12:

• William James Watson, 40, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute meth and possession of firearm during a drug trafficking crime. If convicted of the most serious crime, Watson faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10,000,000 fine and at least five years of supervised release. Watson was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI West Task Force. Pacer case reference. 19-142.

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.

MISSOULA—A Missoula man who admitted possessing methamphetamine for distribution in the community was sentenced today to 144 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release, said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.  The defendant was also ordered to forfeit $4,247 in U.S. Currency.  Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.

Matthew Curtis Olson, 36, pleaded guilty in July to possession with intent to distribute meth.

In court records filed in the case, the prosecution said the Missoula Police Department stopped a pickup truck occupied by Olson and another person, identified as Individual 1, in September 2017. Individual 1 told officers that Olson had spilled meth in the truck earlier. Police arrested Olson for driving with a suspended license and during a search of him, officers found a small amount of meth and a digital scale.

Missoula police officers later executed a search warrant on the truck and found about 420 grams of meth inside a hidden compartment. Individual 1 later claimed ownership of the truck and denied Olson knew of the presence of the large amount of meth that was seized.

From August 2018 to about June 2019, various law enforcement officers in Missoula interviewed a number of cooperating witnesses associated with Olson. The witnesses said that Olson had possessed with intent to distribute and had distributed more than 500 grams, which is about 1.1 pounds or a little more than 3,624 doses, of meth.

Law enforcement officers arrested Olson on February 1 on a federal drug trafficking warrant as he was leaving the home of an associate. Officers seized about one ounce of meth from Olson along with about $4,247 in U.S. currency. Officers also searched the associate’s home and found six ounces of meth and nearly $15,000 in U.S. currency.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thaggard prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, FBI Violent Crimes Regional Task Force, Missoula Police Department, Missoula County Sheriff’s Department, and the Missoula 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.

BILLINGS – After a two-day trial, a jury convicted a Pryor man of assaulting a man, causing facial injuries, on the Crow Reservation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

The jury found Joseph Nathan Smells, 34, guilty of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Smells faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided over the trial and set sentencing for March 18, 2020. Smells is being detained pending sentencing.  

The prosecution presented evidence that Smells assaulted the victim by head-butting and punching him on February 13, 2019 in Pryor. The attack caused multiple facial injuries that required surgery.

The assault occurred as the victim, along with two others, returned to Pryor after attending a basketball game in Billings. While driving to drop off a passenger, the group passed the victim’s house. The driver noticed that the door had been kicked in and stopped to investigate. The driver walked toward the house and saw Smells, just inside the house, and another man and told them both to leave. Smells and the driver argued, and as the driver tried to call police, Smells walked to the vehicle, where the victim was a passenger. Smells spoke briefly to the victim then jerked open the vehicle door and began assaulting the victim. After the fight, Smells ran away.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeanne Torske prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Indian Affairs.

GREAT FALLS—A couple who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine in the community in 2006 and 2007 and absconding for more than 10 years before their arrest  this year in Oklahoma were sentenced to prison terms today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Jamie Alan Cordell, 45, and his wife, Tania Longtin, 43, both of Alta, Wyoming, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute meth and to failure to appear after pre-trial release.

Cordell was sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release and 400 hours of community service. Longtin was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release and 200 hours of community service.  U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided over both sentencing hearings.

In court records filed in the case, the prosecution said Cordell was involved in distributing meth in Great Falls in 2006 and 2007 and that Longtin assisted her husband. Cordell made at least six trips to California to pick up loads of meth, and that Longtin, at one point, traveled to California to get meth for redistribution. Cordell received at least six pounds of meth from a California supplier. Six pounds of meth is the equivalent of about 21,744 doses. Ultimately, eight other defendants pleaded guilty to their involvement in the overall drug conspiracy.

After their initial arrest at their home in Alta, Wyoming, in June 2007, the couple made an initial appearance on an indictment before a magistrate judge in Jackson, Wyoming. Cordell and Longtin were released on bonds on July 3, 2007 after a detention hearing and ordered to appear in U.S. District Court in Great Falls on August 14, 2007.

Both Cordell and Longtin failed to appear. The couple remained fugitives until January 17, 2019, when they were arrested in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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

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.

Today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced the launch of Project Guardian, a new initiative designed to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws across the country. Specifically, Project Guardian focuses on investigating, prosecuting, and preventing gun crimes.

Reducing gun violence and enforcing federal firearms laws have always been among the Department’s highest priorities. In order to develop a new and robust effort to promote and ensure public safety, the Department reviewed and adapted some of the successes of past strategies to curb gun violence. Project Guardian draws on the Department’s earlier achievements, such as the “Triggerlock” program, and it serves as a complementary effort to the success of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In addition, the initiative emphasizes the importance of using all modern technologies available to law enforcement to promote gun crime intelligence.

“Gun crime remains a pervasive problem in too many communities across America. Today, the Department of Justice is redoubling its commitment to tackling this issue through the launch of Project Guardian,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Building on the success of past programs like Triggerlock, Project Guardian will strengthen our efforts to reduce gun violence by allowing the federal government and our state and local partners to better target offenders who use guns in crimes and those who try to buy guns illegally.”

“Montana saw a 36% increase in violent crime from 2013 to 2018.  We have more work to do to keep our communities safe from gun and drug violence.  Project Guardian will better coordinate our enforcement of federal criminal gun laws and keep us safer,” said Kurt Alme, U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana.

“ATF has a long history of strong partnerships in the law enforcement community,” said Acting Director Regina Lombardo. “Make no mistake, the women and men of ATF remain steadfast to our core mission of getting crime guns off of our streets. ATF and U.S. Attorneys nationwide will leverage these partnerships even further through enhanced community outreach initiatives and coordination with local, state, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors to cut the pipeline of crime guns from those violent individuals who seek to terrorize our communities. Project Guardian will enhance ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence, to include identifying, investigating and prosecuting those involved in the straw purchases of firearms, lying on federal firearms transaction forms, and those subject to the mental health prohibition of possessing firearms.” 

Project Guardian’s implementation is based on five principles:

1. Coordinated Prosecution. Federal prosecutors and law enforcement will coordinate with state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors to consider potential federal prosecution for new cases involving a defendant who: a) was arrested in possession of a firearm; b) is believed to have used a firearm in committing a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime prosecutable in federal court; or c) is suspected of actively committing violent crime(s) in the community on behalf of a criminal organization.

1. Enforcing the Background Check System. United States Attorneys, in consultation with the Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in their district, will create new, or review existing, guidelines for intake and prosecution of federal cases involving false statements (including lie-and-try, lie-and-buy, and straw purchasers) made during the acquisition or attempted acquisition of firearms from Federal Firearms Licensees.  Particular emphasis is placed on individuals convicted of violent felonies or misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence, individuals subject to protective orders, and individuals who are fugitives where the underlying offense is a felony or misdemeanor crime of domestic violence; individuals suspected of involvement in criminal organizations or of providing firearms to criminal organizations; and individuals involved in repeat denials.

1. Improved Information Sharing. On a regular basis, and as often as practicable given current technical limitations, ATF will provide to state law enforcement fusion centers a report listing individuals for whom the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) has issued denials, including the basis for the denial, so that state and local law enforcement can take appropriate steps under their laws.

1. Coordinated Response to Mental Health Denials. Each United States Attorney will ensure that whenever there is federal case information regarding individuals who are prohibited from possessing a firearm under the mental health prohibition, such information continues to be entered timely and accurately into the United States Attorneys’ Offices’ case-management system for prompt submission to NICS. ATF should engage in additional outreach to state and local law enforcement on how to use this denial information to better assure public safety.  Additionally, United States Attorneys will consult with relevant district stakeholders to assess feasibility of adopting disruption of early engagement programs to address mental-health-prohibited individuals who attempt to acquire a firearm. United States Attorneys should consider, when appropriate, recommending court-ordered mental health treatment for any sentences issued to individuals prohibited based on mental health.

1. Crime Gun Intelligence Coordination. Federal, state, local, and tribal prosecutors and law enforcement will work together to ensure effective use of the ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Centers (CGICs), and all related resources, to maximize the use of modern intelligence tools and technology. These tools can greatly enhance the speed and effectiveness in identifying trigger-pullers and finding their guns, but the success depends in large part on state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners sharing ballistic evidence and firearm recovery data with the ATF.

Federal law enforcement represents only about 15% of all law enforcement resources nationwide. Therefore, partnerships with state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the communities they serve are critical to addressing gun crime. The Department recognizes that sharing information with our state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners at every level will enhance public safety, and provide a greater depth of resources available to address gun crime on a national level.   

For more information on Project Guardian, see the Attorney General’s memorandum at: https://www.justice.gov/ag/project-guardian-memo-2019/download.

MISSOULA—A Missoula-area woman who admitted to law enforcement she was dealing methamphetamine and heroin after getting pulled over in a traffic stop was sentenced today to 51 months in prison and four years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Jewell Alexandria Mann, 21, of Victor, pleaded guilty in July to possession with intent to distribute meth.

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

In court records filed in the case, the prosecution said a Missoula County Sheriff’s deputy made a traffic stop on a vehicle Mann was driving on Dec. 7, 2018. A search of Mann resulted in the recovery of a digital scale, meth and heroin. Mann admitted to law enforcement that the drugs were hers and that she was a dealer.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and the Montana Violent Crimes 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.

XXX

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 Nov. 5 was:

Jaylin McKinley Half, 29, of Lodge Grass, on involuntary manslaughter. If convicted of the most serious crime, Half faces a maximum eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Half was released pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by Bureau of Indian Affairs. Pacer case reference. 19-131.

Christopher Dennis Shelton, 41, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and prohibited person in possession of firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Shelton faces a minimum mandatory five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Shelton was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Pacer case reference. 19-137.

Appearing on Nov. 6 was:

Dustin Neal Saksa, 36, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a firearm not registered in National Firearm Registry. If convicted of the most serious crime, Saksa faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Saksa was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Pacer case reference. 18-161.

Appearing on Nov. 7 were:

Franklin Joseph Takeshorse, 40, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Takeshorse faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Takeshorse was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Pacer case reference. 19-139.

Joshua Ray Vogel, 41, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth, possession with intent to distribute meth, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and prohibited person in possession of firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Vogel faces a minimum mandatory five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Vogel was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Pacer case reference. 19-140.

Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on Nov. 7 was:

Jeffrey Shawn McDevitt, 51, of Kalispell, on charges of prohibited person in possession of firearm and possession of stolen firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, McDevitt faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. McDevitt was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Montana Probation and Parole. Pacer case reference. 19-50.

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.

 XXX

 

GREAT FALLS—A Great Falls man who admitted distributing methamphetamine as part of heroin and meth trafficking ring in the community was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

David Owen Awberry, 31, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute meth.

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

The prosecution said in court records that 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. Agents learned that Awberry redistributed meth and heroin for the group, which included co-defendants Anthony Beltran and Jacqueline Kirkaldie. 

Beltran, who got a large quantity of meth and heroin from a source in California, used numerous individuals, including Awberry, to redistribute the drugs. In March 2019, detectives spoke to a person who said he got his meth from Awberry. In addition, detectives saw a photograph on Awberry’s Facebook account showing him holding a large amount of cash with the word “dope” at the bottom of the picture.

Detectives arrested Awberry in April and searched his home. Awberry admitted he sold drugs, including meth, but declined to identify his source. Detectives found thousands of dollars in cash in his home and confirmed the money was from drug sales.

Kirkaldie was convicted in the case and sentenced to more than 11 years in prison. Beltran has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Russell Country Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

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.

XXX

 

MISSOULA – A jury on Wednesday convicted a California man on methamphetamine trafficking crimes after he was accused of bringing the drug to the Kalispell area for distribution, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

The jury found Jeremy David Medbery, 34, of Riverside, CA, guilty of possession with intent to distribute meth and distribution of meth. Medbery faces a minimum mandatory five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release.

The three-day trial began on Monday.

Chief U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen presided and set sentencing for Feb. 20, 2020. Medbery was detained.

“Mr. Medbery pushed this highly-addictive drug in our community for distribution. Drug traffickers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bartleson and the prosecution team, along with the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations, for their work on this case,” U.S. Attorney Alme said.

The prosecution presented evidence at trial that in January 2016, law enforcement agents in the Kalispell area began getting tips about two men, Medbery and co-defendant Christopher George Nomura, who had arrived from California to distribute meth. A confidential informant told agents that Medbery had stayed in a Lakeside home and had showed the informant a container with meth.

 In February 2016, the informant made a controlled purchase of meth from Medbery at a casino in Kalispell. Medbery was under surveillance before the deal. After the transaction, police officers followed Medbery, made a traffic stop on Highway 93 and arrested Medbery. Agents executed search warrants on Medbery’s truck and residence. In the truck was a plastic bag with meth residue. A safe in the bedroom where Medbery was staying contained a plastic bag with meth and another bag with residue.

Medbery told officers that there was meth in a safe in the room where he stayed. He also admitted he drove from California with Nomura and brought meth for his personal use. Several days later, Nomura was arrested. Nomura told officers that he and Medbery drove up from California with about a pound of meth to distribute. Medbery stranded Nomura and gave him money to return to California. Nomura got more meth in California and returned to Montana. A pound of meth is the equivalent of about 3,624 doses. Nomura was convicted in the case and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bartleson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 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.

XXX

 

 

BILLINGS—A Billings man who admitted robbing Dotty’s Casino at gunpoint and demanded the attendant to empty the till was sentenced today to 13 years and six months in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Joshua Stanley Roberts, 37, pleaded guilty in February to robbery affecting commerce, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and felon in possession of a firearm.

U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided.

The prosecution said in court records that Roberts robbed Dotty’s Casino in Billings on July 27, 2018 after he entered the business by following another individual who had been buzzed in. Once inside, Roberts pulled out a semi-automatic handgun, pointed it at the casino attendant and demanded the attendant empty the till. Roberts got $516 from the casino.

Later that day, Billings Police officers pulled over a car driven by Roberts’ ex-girlfriend. Roberts was in the back seat with a co-defendant. The officers located a 9mm semi-automatic pistol in the back seat. In November 2008, Roberts was convicted in U.S. District Court in Montana for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

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

XXX

BILLINGS—The U.S. Attorney’s Office held on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation today the first of four public trainings this week on how to use a national database system for missing persons, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

The USAO also recently released a Missing Indigenous Persons Public Service Announcement on what people can do if a loved one goes missing.

A representative for the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, or NamUs, showed attendees in Browning how to use the free, online tool to report and find missing persons.

“Native American women suffer high rates of violence, including murder. When women go missing, they need to be found, and murdered victims need their killers brought to justice,” U.S. Attorney Alme said.

“By bringing NamUs training to Montana and our Indian reservations, we hope community members will learn how to use this free and secure tool to report and ultimately find their missing loved one. Our public service announcement also provides information on what to do if someone goes missing,” U.S. Attorney Alme said.

NamUs trainings also will be offered on Thursday at 10 a.m. at Rocky Boy’s Stone Child College Vo-Tech Center in Box Elder; at 1:30 p.m. at the Fort Belknap Agency Community building in Harlem; and on Friday at 9:30 a.m. at the Fort Peck Tribal Complex, Phase 3, in Poplar.

Administered by the National Institute of Justice, NamUs is accessible to both law enforcement and the public and allows them to enter and share information about missing persons. NamUs is available online at NamUs.gov.

The recently released a Missing Indigenous Persons PSA with steps people can take if a loved one goes missing was produced with assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office. The Missing Indigenous Persons PSA is available at the following link: https://youtu.be/pXNHF8jnZYM.

NamUs training was presented earlier this year to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes on the Flathead Reservation, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe and the Crow Tribe. NamUs training also was offered at two Missing Persons Training sessions for the public and law enforcement held in Helena and in Billings. The statewide training sessions were co-sponsored by the USAO, the Montana Department of Justice, the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

XXX

GREAT FALLS – After a three-day trial, a jury today convicted a Lodge Pole man accused of assaulting his girlfriend on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

The jury found Jeremy Davis Wing, 40, guilty of domestic abuse by habitual offender. Wing 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 and set sentencing for Feb. 27, 2020. Wing was detained pending further proceedings. The trial began on Monday.

"Volence against Native American women by a domestic partner occurs far too often. Repeat abusers like Mr. Wing will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Cobell and Kalah Paisley and the prosecution team, along with the FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services for their work on the case,” U.S. Attorney Alme said.

At trial, the parties stipulated that Wing had at least two prior separate domestic assault convictions.

On May 19, 2018 and into the next day, Wing physically assaulted the victim, his girlfriend. Wing and the victim were living together at the time of assault. Wing and victim were drinking alcohol with a man and a woman when the couple argued. Wing became violent with the victim and also told the woman to beat up on the victim. Both Wing and the woman assaulted the victim.

Later, the woman again assaulted the victim at a nearby residence and walked across a yard to get Wing, telling him to “come get your woman.” The woman and Wing continued to assault and kick the victim, before Wing eventually dragged her from a bedroom and pushed her back to their residence. Wing continued beating the victim inside his home. A neighbor called tribal police to report the incident. Tribal officers arrived and arrested Wing.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Cobell and Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and the Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services.

XXX

BILLINGS—A jury on Tuesday convicted a Nevada man of methamphetamine trafficking charges after an investigation in which he distributed the drug during an undercover purchase, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

The jury found Ryan McGuire, 38, of Mound House, Nevada, guilty of conspiracy to distribute meth and distribution of meth. McGuire faces a minimum mandatory five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. The two-day trial began on Monday.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided and set sentencing for March 12, 2020. Judge Watters continued McGuire’s release pending sentencing.

“Mr. McGuire’s conviction sends the message that we will charge and prosecute to the full extent of the law persons who try to push this poison to our community. I want to thank Assistant U. S. Attorney Cassady Adams and the prosecution team, along with the Drug Enforcement Administration for their work on the case,” Attorney Alme said.

The prosecution presented evidence at trial that DEA agents learned in May 2016 that a Billings woman, Angela Killen, was selling pills.  In September 2016, an undercover agent met with Killen, who indicated she could introduce him to a source for meth. The agent purchased hydromorphone pills from Killen and paid a referral fee for Killen to introduce him to her meth source.

Later in September 2016, undercover agents returned to Killen’s residence and bought about 26 grams of meth from Killen and McGuire. McGuire pulled a package of meth from his jacket and passed it to Killen, who then gave it to one of the agents. The other agent paid Killen $2,200 for the meth. The investigation also showed that McGuire’s phone was in contact with Killen’s phone on the dates leading up to the meth deal as well as on the day of the transaction.

Killen was convicted in the investigation and sentenced to seven years in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassady Adams prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

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.

XXX

GREAT FALLS—An East Glacier woman who taught elementary school on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was sentenced today to two years in prison and five years of supervised release for sexually abusing two students, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

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

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

“Our children need to be protected from abusers like Ms. Taylor, particularly those who hold a position of trust. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley, the FBI, the Blackfeet Multidisciplinary Team and the Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services for their good work in bringing this case to justice,” U.S. Attorney Alme said.

The prosecution said in court records that 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 prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, the Blackfeet Multidisciplinary Team and the Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.

XXX

 

GREAT FALLS – The former chairman of the Blackfeet Tribe today admitted charges in an overtime pay scheme in which persons who worked in the tribe’s Head Start program, including his wife, defrauded the child assistance program of $174,000, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Willie Sharp, 66, of Browning, pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Sharp faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Judge Morris set sentencing for March 3, 2020 and continued Sharp’s release.

The prosecution said in court records that Sharp authorized and approved overtime at the Blackfeet Head Start Program knowing that the overtime claims were false. The falsely claimed overtime pay totaled $174,000 in federal funds for more than 5,800 hours claimed over a 15-month period. Sharp’s wife, Denise Sharp, and four other co-defendants have been convicted and sentenced in the case.

When the fraud was uncovered, two different firms audited the Blackfeet Head Start program. Both audits questioned the overtime claims, identifying them as “beyond necessary and reasonable” and lacking any supporting documentation.

The Blackfeet Tribe did its own internal review, agreed it could not justify the overtime claims and repaid the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services $250,620.29 for disallowed costs and other expenses.

The investigation has resulted in the indictment and conviction of Denise Sharp, Theresa Calf Boss Ribs, Patrick Calf Boss Ribs, Carol Bird and Allen Shane Gross.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Weldon is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General.

XXX

GREAT FALLS—A Box Elder man accused of assaulting and strangling a woman on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation pleaded guilty on Nov. 1 to domestic assault by habitual offender, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Henry James Daychild, Jr., 41, admitted to the crime during a hearing before U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris. Judge Morris set sentencing for Feb. 13, 2020. Daychild was detained pending further proceedings.

Daychild faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

The prosecution said in court records that Daychild assaulted the victim on May 23, 2018 by hitting her and strangling her multiple times. The victim lost consciousness twice during the assault. She escaped to a neighbor’s home to call the police and sought medical care. The victim has sustained serious injuries in the past as a result of Daychild’s abuse.

Daychild has four prior tribal domestic violence convictions.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Cobell is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and the Chippewa Cree Criminal Investigations.

XXX

 

 

 

GREAT FALLS – A jury convicted a Conrad man of illegal possession of a shotgun and ammunition on Thursday following a two-day trial, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

The jury found Joseph William Webb, 27, guilty of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The trial began on Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and set sentencing for Feb. 13. Webb was released pending further proceedings.

Webb faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

“As a convicted felon, Mr. Webb’s unlawful possession of a shotgun posed a danger to our community. Offenders illegally possessing firearms will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paulette Stewart and Kalah Paisley and the rest of the prosecution team, the Montana Highway Patrol and the Great Falls Police Department for their work on this case,” U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

At trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Webb illegally possessed a shotgun and ammunition after having been convicted of a felony in California in September 2017. Webb was charged after a Montana Highway Patrol trooper stopped a vehicle Webb was driving for speeding on Interstate 15 in Cascade County on Aug. 25, 2018. The trooper saw a shotgun in plain view in the back seat. The vehicle had been traveling 93 mph in a posted 80 mph zone. A MHP dispatcher checking Webb’s driving information advised the trooper that Webb was on probation out of California and was prohibited from possessing firearms.

Webb told the trooper the firearm was in the vehicle when he bought it and that he had moved the shotgun from the trunk to the backseat. Webb consented to a search of the vehicle, and the trooper seized the firearm, a 16 gauge shotgun, along with 10 shotgun shells. The prosecution evidence showed that Webb knew he was a convicted felon on state supervision.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paulette Stewart and Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Montana Highway Patrol 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.

XXX

 

 

 

 

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 Oct. 29 was:

Robert Earnest Frazier II, 44, of Laurel, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute meth and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted of the most serious crime, Frazier faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Frazier was detained pending further proceedings. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force investigated the case. Pacer case reference. 19-128.

Anthony Pretty On Top, 34, of Lodge Grass, on charges of failure to register as a sex offender. If convicted of the most serious crime, Pretty On Top faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Pretty On Top was detained pending further proceedings. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case. Pacer case reference. 19-135.

Christina Nicole Deharo, 28, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and false statement. If convicted of the most serious crime, Deharo faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Deharo was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.  Pacer case reference. 19-127.

Appearing on Oct. 30 was:

Aljay Michael Bighair, 31, of Lame Deer, on charges of possession of a firearm not registered in National Firearms Registration. If convicted of the most serious crime, Bighair faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $10,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Bighair was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case.  Pacer case reference. 19-125.

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

Alonzo First Rider, 24, of Cut Bank, on charges of possession with intent to distribute meth and distribution of meth near an elementary school. If convicted of the most serious crime, First Rider faces a minimum mandatory five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and five years of supervised release. First Rider was detained pending further proceedings. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the case. Pacer case reference. 19-56.

Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen DeSoto and pleading not guilty on Oct. 31 was:

Bryan Berg, 35, of Spokane, WA, on charges of Lacey Act Violation: illegal transportation of grizzly bear claws and failure to report. If convicted of the most serious crime, Berg faces a maximum one year in prison, a $10,000 fine and one year of supervised release. Berg was released pending further proceedings. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated the case. Pacer case reference. 19-47.

Appearing on a criminal complaint for an initial appearance on Oct. 31 was:

Raymond Girhart Bouldin, 37, of Missoula, on charges of drug user in possession and possession of an unregistered firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Bouldin faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Bouldin was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Missoula Police Department Street Crimes Unit, Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force and the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Pacer case reference. 19-69.

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.

 

 

XXX

 

 

 

BILLINGS—A Glendive woman who admitted selling methamphetamine and heroin in the Billings community for a Denver dealer was sentenced on Wednesday to five years in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Tori Lashawn Smith, 24, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute meth.

U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided.

In court records, the prosecution said that Smith was a lieutenant for Nathan Trujillo, a Denver man who was convicted of drug trafficking crimes and sentenced in June to more than 20 years in federal prison.

When Turjillo was arrested in September 2018, Smith was with him in his vehicle. Law enforcement officers found 429 grams, or slightly less than one pound, of meth in the vehicle. Officers searched Smith’s purse and found two ounces of heroin. Smith later told officers she regularly sold ounce quantities of heroin for Trujillo and also had sold a pound of meth for him. One pound of meth is the equivalent of 3,624 doses.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich 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.

XXX

BILILNGS – A former Billings massage parlor operator who admitted bringing a woman from Nevada to his business to provide commercial sexual activity was sentenced today to two years in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Scot Donald Petrie, 62, of Billings, pleaded guilty in July to transportation of a person with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

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

 “Mr. Petrie induced a woman to travel from Nevada to Billings so he could profit from her illegal commercial sexual activity. Such conduct exploits women and is a serious offense. This office will prosecute human traffickers to the full extent of the law,” U.S. Attorney Alme said.

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 bought 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 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 gave her condoms when she arrived in Billings. The woman provided commercial sexual services, including intercourse, while staying at the spa, and paid Petrie half of her earnings.

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

XXX

BILLINGS—An ex-St. Vincent Healthcare nurse who admitted swapping a patient’s pain pills for an over the counter medication, leaving the patient in pain, was sentenced today to four years of probation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Shelia Marie White, 61, of Billings, pleaded guilty in June to tampering with a consumer product.

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

 “Taking a patient’s pain medication to feed an opioid addiction not only puts the patient’s health at risk but also violates the law. Ms. White’s case sends the message that healthcare professionals who use their position to steal opioids will be prosecuted,” U.S. Attorney Alme said.

“Patients rely on the knowledge that they will receive FDA-approved medications to manage their pain,” said Special Agent in Charge Lisa L. Malinowski, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Los Angeles Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice healthcare professionals who put their patients’ health at risk by tampering with their pain medications.” 

In court records filed in the case, the prosecution said White was a nurse at St. Vincent Healthcare when she replaced packaged hydrocodone, a prescription strength pain reliever, with generic over-the-counter acetaminophen on Dec. 6, 2018. The switch was discovered because one of her patients noticed that she was being given different pills by White than by the other nurses. The patient told officials she was in considerably more pain during White’s shift than other nurses’ shifts.

When confronted by a manager and the human resources director, White initially said she could not understand why the patient was accusing her, but then admitted she had taken the patient’s pain pills. White said she used the hydrocodone pills.

White also admitted to law enforcement agents that she had replaced the hydrocodone pills with an over-the-counter medication and had become addicted to the pills.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration.

XXX

 

BILLINGS—A former manager at the Signal Peak Energy coal mine in Musselshell County was sentenced today to two years of probation and ordered to forfeit an RV and a Rolex watch for his role in a conspiracy to defraud the company of about $2.3 million, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Zachary Madison Ruble, 40, of Billings, pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Chief U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen presided. Judge Christensen also ordered the forfeiture of a 2016 Thor Vegas RV and a Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch.

In court records filed in the case, the prosecution said Ruble, who was the surface manager at Signal Peak Energy’s coal mine near Roundup, conspired with others to buy coal mining equipment from Peter’s Equipment Company, located in Virginia, knowing that PEC would not actually provide the equipment to Signal Peak.

In March 2017, Ruble reported to Larry Price, Jr., the mine’s vice president of Surface Operations, and both men were involved in budgeting and requesting funds for surface activities. Ruble and Price fraudulently induced Signal Peak to buy equipment from PEC, which then funneled the money back to Price through an account registered to 3 Solutions, a company Price controlled. Ruble knew the transaction was fraudulent and helped accomplish it by accepting several fraudulent invoices from PEC and submitting them for payment to Signal Peak’s controller, who was responsible for disbursing the money. 

The controller issued a series of checks to PEC totaling $2,396,134. The entire amount was a fraud against Signal Peak and most of the money was spent illegitimately by Price and others associated with him. For Ruble’s participation in the scheme, Price gave him a $25,000 check and a 2016 Thor Vegas RV.

Price has pleaded guilty to charges in the case and is awaiting sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin Rubich, Zeno Baucus and Tim Tatarka prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.

XXX

BILLINGS –   A jury this week convicted an East Helena man of illegal possession of firearms after a two-day trial that began on Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

The jury found Brandon Best Gordon, 32, guilty of felon in possession of a firearm. Gordon faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

U.S. District Judge Scott W. Skavdahl, of Wyoming, presided. Sentencing has not yet been set. Gordon was detained.

“Felons who possess firearms are a threat to a community’s safety. Mr. Gordon’s conviction sends the message that offenders will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette Stewart, the prosecution team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Park County Sheriff’s Office and the Montana Highway Patrol for their work on the case,” U.S. Attorney Alme said.

The prosecution presented evidence at trial that Gordon, a convicted felon, possessed two stolen firearms in Park and Sweet Grass counties on July 17, 2018. The firearms were stolen two days earlier from a vehicle break-in in Great Falls. The firearms were identified as a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol.

The firearms were in a backpack Gordon was carrying when he left a suspected drug house in Livingston and got into a vehicle that was being followed by Park County Sheriff’s Office detectives. A Montana Highway Patrol trooper, who was familiar with the vehicle and its driver from previous drug activity information, stopped the vehicle for traffic violations. Gordon was a passenger. Law enforcement served a state search warrant on the vehicle and found the backpack with the firearms. Gordon was convicted in 2012 of felony crimes in Montana.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette Stewart prosecuted the case which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Park County Sheriff’s Office and the 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.

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.

XXX

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 Missoula before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen and pleading not guilty on Oct. 23 was:

Paul Aaron Champion, 52, of Missoula, on charges of felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Champion faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Champion was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Missoula Police Department and Montana Probation and Parole investigated the case. Pacer case reference. 19-41.

Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on Oct. 24 was:

Mark Allen Heimer, 59, of Columbus, on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Heimer faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release. Heimer was released pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Pacer case reference. 19-133.

Appearing on Oct. 25 and pleading not guilty was:

Michael Troy Webb, Jr., 36, of Charlotte, MI, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and heroin, possession with intent to distribute meth and heroin and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted of the most serious crime, Webb faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Webb was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.  Pacer case reference. 19-121.

Lyn American Horse Jr., 25, of Lame Deer, on charges of assault resulting in serious bodily injury and assault with a dangerous weapon. If convicted of the most serious crime, American Horse faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. American Horse was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI.  Pacer case reference. 19-10.

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.

 XXX

 

 

MISSOULA—A Polson man who admitted possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony was sentenced today to three years in prison and three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Marc Anthony Friscia, 30, pleaded guilty in July to prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

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

Court records filed by the prosecution said that Friscia was pulled over in a traffic stop in January 2018 and arrested on an outstanding warrant. Friscia also was on probation. During a search of the vehicle Friscia was driving, officers found a .357 caliber pistol in a backpack in the backseat. The pistol had been reported stolen that month. Friscia had been convicted of a felony in Montana and his right to possess a firearm had not been restored.

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

XXX

GREAT FALLS—A Fort Belknap man convicted of sexually abusing a girl on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation was sentenced this week to 22 years in prison and 15 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said today.

James Edward Snell, Jr., 42, pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual abuse.

U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided at the Oct. 22 sentencing hearing.

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 and Fort Belknap law enforcement.

XXX

BILLINGS—A California man was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison today after law enforcement officers found eight pounds of methamphetamine hidden in a spare tire of the rental vehicle he was driving, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Manuel Paz Sanchez, Jr., 32, of Sacramento, CA, pleaded guilty in May to possession with intent to distribute meth.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters sentenced Sanchez to 15 years and eight months in prison and to five years of supervised release.

The prosecution said in court records that a Montana Highway Patrol trooper stopped a Ford sedan that Sanchez was driving on Dec. 12, 2017 near Columbus. Sanchez, the sole occupant, had rented the vehicle three days earlier in Sacramento and told the trooper he was driving to Bismarck, N.D. from Idaho, where he had been visiting family. Sanchez planned to fly back to California from Bismarck. The trooper found Sanchez’s story suspicious and asked permission to search the vehicle. Sanchez consented.

Law enforcement officers found in the car a tire repair kit, which they thought was unusual for a rental vehicle. Officers removed the spare tire from the trunk and the spare appeared to be deflated. Officers took the spare to a repair shop in Columbus, where the tire was removed from the rim. Inside the tire were six, vacuum-sealed packages containing approximately 8.3 pounds, or about 30,000 doses, of meth.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

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.

 

XXX

 

 

 

BILLINGS -- U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme will join the Drug Enforcement Administration in support of the 18th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 26. The biannual event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 26 collection sites across Montana.  The event is an effort to rid homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

New for this campaign, the DEA will be accepting vaping devices and cartridges, in addition to tablets, capsules, patches and other medications in solid form.

“The primary way opioid abusers first get pills is from family, friends or the medicine cabinet. That’s why getting rid of unneeded and expired prescriptions is an important step Montanans can take to prevent opioid abuse and addiction,” U. S. Attorney Alme said.

“The DEA, along with its community partners, will be collecting unused, unneeded and expired prescription medications.  In addition, DEA will also accept vaping devices and cartridges with no questions asked.  Just place your items in a bag or box and, in Billings, drop them off in the parking lot area of the Elks Lodge, located at 934 Lewis Ave., or the First Interstate Bank parking lot, located at 730 Main Street, in the Heights,” said DEA Montana Resident Agent in Charge Stacy Zinn-Brittain.

Last April, Americans turned in 468 tons (937,443 pounds) of prescription drugs at 6,258 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,969 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Montanans turned in 4,113 pounds of prescription drugs, including 78 pounds from Indian reservations, at the April event.

The disposal service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps, only pills or patches. Flushing medications down the toilet or throwing them in the trash pose safety and health hazards. This initiative addresses the public safety and health issues that surround medications languishing in home cabinets, becoming highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.

For more information or to locate a collection site near you, go the DEA Prescription Drug Take Back Day web site at https://takebackday.dea.gov/#collection-locator where you can search by zip code, city, or state.

XXX

GREAT FALLS--A Poplar man who admitted sexually abusing a teenage girl and of burning down a house on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation was sentenced this week to 10 years and one month in prison, six years of supervised release and ordered to pay $60,000 restitution, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Clifford William John Youpee, 32, pleaded guilty in April to aggravated sexual abuse and to arson of a dwelling in two separate cases.

U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided at the Oct. 23 hearing.

In court records filed in the case, the prosecution said that in September 2016, a teenage girl reported that Youpee had raped her the night before. The victim had fallen asleep in a house and awoke to Youpee putting his hand up her shirt. The victim told Youpee to stop but he held her down and raped her.

The arson occurred on Oct. 20, 2017 after Youpee and another person were upset that they were removed from staying in a residence used by people as place to live and sleep. To seek retribution for being removed, Youpee and the other person both decided to burn the house to the ground. Witnesses confirmed that Youpee and the individual were the only persons in the residence immediately prior to it burning. The fire marshal responded and concluded the fire was set intentionally because there were two separate origins in the residence. The Fort Peck Housing Authority was owed $60,000 in restitution.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Weldon prosecuted the cases, which were investigated by the FBI and Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice.

XXX

HELENA – After a two-trial, a jury today convicted a Montana City man of a firearms violation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

K. Jeffery Knapp, 42, was charged with being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

The jury found Knapp guilty of the crime in a trial that began on Tuesday. Knapp faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

Senior U.S. District Judge Charles C. Lovell presided. Knapp was released pending sentencing, which was set for April 16, 2020.

“Felons who possess firearms are a threat to community safety. Mr. Knapp’s conviction sends the message that persons illegally possessing firearms will be held responsible. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bartleson, the prosecution team, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s office for their work on the case,” U.S. Attorney Alme said.

The prosecution presented evidence at trial that on April 3, law enforcement agents served a federal search warrant at Knapp’s home and found 16 firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Two pistols were found on what appeared to be Knapp’s side of the bed. Knapp, having been convicted of two felonies in Colorado in 1994, knowingly illegally possessed firearms.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bartleson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

XXX

GREAT FALLS—A Heart Butte man who admitted providing a minor with methamphetamine on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 33 months in prison and to six years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Gary Allen Jimenez, 24, pleaded guilty in July to distribution of a controlled substance to a person under 21 years of age.

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

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 witness told law enforcement that Jimenez had provided her with meth on multiple occasions and that they smoked six or seven ounces together over a period of time. At the time Jimenez gave the juvenile meth, she was between 12 and 14 years of age.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Starnes prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.

XXX

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced on Oct. 18 that it has awarded over $273.4 million in grants, including $2.9 million to four tribes in Montana, to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

“Violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities remain at unacceptably high levels, and they demand a response that is both clear and comprehensive,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “We will continue to work closely with our tribal partners to guarantee they have the resources they need to curb violence and bring healing to the victims most profoundly affected by it.”  

In Montana, the Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy’s Reservation, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes on of the Flathead Reservation, the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Reservation and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe were awarded a total of $2,902,538 in funding. 

The Chippewa Cree Tribe received $250,000, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes received $488,049, the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes received $1,714,489 and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe received $450,000.

“This funding will help address the unacceptable violence and domestic abuse suffered by many Native American women and girls in Montana. Through these grants, tribes will be able to provide more public safety and correctional alternatives for adults and children, along with services to reduce violence against women and support healing. We must continue to work closely with our tribal partners to stop the violence and abuse,” U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Nationwide, 236 grants were awarded to 149 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $118 million awarded via CTAS, just over $62.6 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, about $33.1 million from the Office on Violence Against Women and more than $23.2 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. A portion of the funding will support tribal youth mentoring and intervention services, help native communities implement requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and provide training and technical assistance to tribal communities. Another $5.5 million was funded by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance to provide training and technical assistance to CTAS awardees.

The Department also announced awards and other programming totaling $167.2 million in a set-aside program to serve victims of crime. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims by supporting programming and technical assistance. About $25.6 million of these awards were awarded under CTAS and are included in the $118 million detailed above.

CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs. The awards cover 10 purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; violent crime reduction; and tribal youth programs.

The Department also provided $6.1 million to help tribes to comply with federal law on sex offender registration and notification, $1.7 million in separate funding to assist tribal youth and nearly $500,000 to support tribal research on missing and murdered indigenous women and children and other public safety-related topics.

The announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

A listing of the announced CTAS awards is available at: https://www.justice.gov/tribal/awards. A listing of all other announced tribal awards are available at: https://go.usa.gov/xVJuE.

 

# # #

 

WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has awarded more than $85.3 million to bolster school security—including funding to educate and train students and faculty—and support first responders who arrive on the scene of a school shooting or other violent incident.

“These federal resources will help to prevent school violence and give our students the support they need to learn, grow, and thrive,’ said Attorney General William P. Barr. “By training faculty, students and first responders, and by improving school security measures, we can make schools and their communities safer.”

The grants award $1,626,347 in funding to three schools in the District of Montana to prevent violence. Schools receiving the grants are the University of Montana, $1 million; Polson School District #23, $476,347; and Browning Public School District 9, $150,000.

“We are pleased that the University of Montana, along with the Polson and Browning public school districts, will be receiving these funds to improve safety. Keeping our schools prepared to respond to potential threats is important to providing a safe environment where students, faculty and staff can do what they should do in school, focus on learning,” U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

President Trump signed the STOP School Violence Act into law in March 2018, authorizing grants that are designed to improve threat assessments, train students and faculty to provide tips and leads, and prepare law enforcement officers and emergency professionals to respond to school shootings and other violent incidents. The grant programs are managed by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance, within the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services manage the programs and administer the grants, which include funds to:

• Develop school threat assessment teams and pursue technological solutions to improve reporting of suspicious activity in and around schools;
• Implement or improve school safety measures, including coordination with law enforcement, as well as the use of metal detectors, locks, lighting and other deterrent measures;
• Train law enforcement to help deter student violence against others and themselves;
• Improve notification to first responders through implementation of technology that expedites emergency notifications;
• Develop and operate anonymous reporting systems to encourage safe reporting of potential school threats;
• Train school officials to intervene when mentally ill individuals threaten school safety; and
• Provide training and technical assistance to schools and other awardees in helping implement these programs.

For more details about these individual award programs, as well as listings of individual 2019 awardees, visit https://go.usa.gov/xVJuV

About the Office of Justice Programs:

The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:

The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.

 

###

 

 

 

GREAT FALLS—A Box Elder man who admitted strangling a woman to death on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation was sentenced this week to 21 years and four months in prison followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Gavin Tyrone Sutherland, 35, pleaded guilty in May to second degree murder.

U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided at the Oct. 17 hearing. Judge Morris also ordered Sutherland to pay $3,500 restitution.

“Violence against Native American women is all too common in our country and must stop. Those who harm these wives, mothers, sisters and daughters will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” U.S. Attorney Alme said.

The prosecution said in court records that Sutherland strangled the victim to death on July 7, 2018 at the victim’s home on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation. Late in the evening on July 6, Sutherland arrived at the victim’s home. Two other adults and the victim’s two-year-old child were present in the residence. Sometime after midnight, the victim became upset over some money she thought had been stolen from her and she called Sutherland into her bedroom. A few minutes later, the two other adults heard the victim scream and other noises and thought that Sutherland was trying to rob her. The two adults got scared and ran to a neighbor’s house. The victim’s body was found shortly after the murder by the victim’s 12-year-old son, who arrived at the house after being away.

Sutherland told investigators he intentionally killed the victim by choking her and that he had fled the scene and the state after the murder.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Cobell prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Rocky Boy’s Criminal Investigations.

XXX

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 Oct. 15 was:

Elvin Ricardo Perez-Villar, 30, of Mexico, on charges of illegal reentry. If convicted of the most serious crime, Perez-Villar faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Perez-Villar was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol. Pacer case reference. 19-77.

Lucia Marlene Mendez, 34, of Tampa, FL, on charges of attempted transportation of illegal aliens. If convicted of the most serious crime, Mendez faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Mendez was released pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol. Pacer case reference. 19-76.

Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on Oct. 15 was:

Allan Roy Goodman, 42, of Missoula, on charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime and prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Goodman faces a maximum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Goodman was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI and Montana Regional Violent Crimes Task Force. Pacer case reference. 19-43.

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.

 XXX

MISSOULA—A California man who admitted conspiring to bring methamphetamine to Missoula for distribution was sentenced today to 15 years and 10 months in prison and to five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Justin Michael Allen, 33, of Glendora, CA, pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to distribute meth and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

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

The prosecution said in court records that in January, the Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force received information that an individual on state probation was involved in distributing meth. Task force officers worked with the probationer as a confidential informant and learned that Allen was coming to Missoula to bring the informant meth. Officers arrested Allen on Feb. 11 when he entered a store in Missoula. Allen told the officers to check his jacket pocket, and they found a 9mm pistol. Officers served a warrant on the vehicle Allen used to travel to Montana and seized three packages that were determined to contain 1,204 grams, or about 2.6 pounds, of pure meth. That quantity of meth is the equivalent of about 9,422 doses. Two other persons who traveled with Allen also were arrested.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Racicot prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Missoula HIDTA.

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.

XXX

MISSOULA—A Spokane man accused of bringing pound quantities of methamphetamine to Missoula for distribution was sentenced today to 10 years and one month in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Donald Shawn Gilbrech, 51, pleaded guilty in July to possession with intent to distribute meth.

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

In court records filed in the case, the prosecution said that in February, a confidential informant stored a backpack containing meth at Gilbrech’s request. The informant consented to a search of the backpack and law enforcement recovered almost four pounds of meth. Four pounds of meth is the equivalent of about 14,496 doses. Another informant told law enforcement that Gilbrech was a meth distributor and had delivered more than one pound of meth to Missoula in the summer of 2018.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and the Montana Regional Violent Crimes 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.

XXX

 

MISSOULA—An undercover investigation of methamphetamine trafficking in Sanders County led to a Thompson Falls man being sentenced to prison on Thursday, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Derek Alan Dembowski, 41, was sentenced to eight years in prison and four years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty in July to distribution of meth and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

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

The prosecution said in court records that during an undercover investigation, a confidential informant bought a half-ounce of meth from Dembowski on Jan. 21in a monitored buy which Dembowski also possessed firearms and ammunition. The informant had purchased meth from Dembowski on two previous occasions. When arrested by a Sanders County Sheriff’s Office deputy on Feb. 12, Dembowski had a loaded revolver, ammunition and a small amount of meth. Dembowski admitted to law enforcement that he distributed meth and had possessed firearms.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Elliott 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.

XXX

GREAT FALLS—A Browning man who admitted hitting a woman in the face after their vehicle struck an ambulance on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 18 months of probation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Christopher Harwood Mason, 55, pleaded guilty in July to assault by striking, beating or wounding, a misdemeanor.

U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston presided.

The prosecution said in court records that on Dec. 30, 2018, the Blackfeet Emergency Medical Services personnel were on a call in Browning when their ambulance was struck from the rear by a vehicle driven by Mason. The EMS personnel saw Mason back up and park in his driveway. They then observed Mason exit the vehicle, go around to the passenger side and begin hitting the victim, a woman, in the face. Law enforcement photographed injuries and blood on the victim’s face. Mason was transported to the hospital for assessment of potential injuries from the crash. Mason admitted to Glacier County Sheriff’s Office law enforcement at the hospital that he had struck the victim in the face.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Glacier County Sheriff’s Office.

XXX

MISSOULA—A Washington man convicted of possessing methamphetamine and heroin for distribution after his arrest following a high-speed chase was sentenced this week to 15 years and eight months in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Juan Jose Camarena, 37, of Tacoma, WA, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute meth, possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession of ammunition by a prohibited person.

U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided at the Oct. 10 hearing. Judge Molloy also ordered forfeiture of $6,750 and ammunition.

The prosecution said in court records that a Montana Highway Patrol trooper arrested Camarena on Oct. 24, 2018 after a high-speed chase on Interstate 90 in which speeds approached 120 mph. Law enforcement served a search warrant on Camarena’s 2006 Mercedes and seized 9mm ammunition, drug paraphernalia, $6,750 in U.S. currency and drugs, including meth and heroin.

Camarena admitted to drug task force officers that he had fled the MHP trooper because he had “pounds” of drugs in his car and was concerned for his safety. He admitted stealing the drugs from a person in Missoula who owed him a debt. Camarena also admitted throwing drug evidence out of the car during the chase. Officers recovered about 3.1 pounds, which is the equivalent of about 11,234 doses, of meth and 99 grams of heroin from the car. In addition, Camarena was prohibited from possessing ammunition because of a prior conviction.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bartleson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Montana Highway Patrol, the Missouri River Drug Task Force and the Anaconda-Deer Lodge County 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.

XXX

MISSOULA—A Missoula man who admitted to multiple child pornography crimes was sentenced today to 12 years in prison, 10 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $3,000 restitution, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Mark Allen McNeely, Sr., 51, pleaded guilty in June to a dozen counts, including distribution of child pornography, transportation of child pornography and receipt of child pornography.

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

In court records filed in the case, the prosecution said that on Nov. 20, 2018, a Missoula Police detective and member of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force served a search warrant on McNeely’s residence. An examination of a laptop seized in the search determined it had been used to search for, download and store images and videos of child pornography. The laptop also had been used to communicate with others in chatrooms on child pornography. The detective also obtained records from Skype and Facebook that were associated with accounts used by McNeely. Those records showed that McNeely distributed images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct on multiple dates.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee Peterson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Missoula Police Department, Bozeman Police Department and ICAC Task Force.

This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children.  Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation.  It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.  The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children.

XXX