District of Montana
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Billings man sentenced to 10 years in meth caseRead the Press Release
BILLINGS--Billings resident Gregory Adam Kilwein, 50, was sentenced on Thursday to 10 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release for conviction in a drug investigation in which agents found four pounds of methamphetamine in his apartment, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
Kilwein also forfeited the $30,350 seized in case. Kilwein pleaded guilty in July to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided at the sentencing.
In March, a Billings Police officer saw Kilwein riding a bicycle on a downtown sidewalk in violation of a city ordinance. In addition, Kilwein was acting suspiciously by watching the officer and then trying to avoid him by going around the block. When the officer pulled behind Kilwein in an alley, Kilwein dropped his bicycle and took off running. While fleeing, he threw a bag he was carrying over a fence.
The officer caught Kilwein after a brief chase and recovered the bag. Lying near the bag in the snow was a package covered in tape that had fallen from the bag. When the officer picked up the bag, he could see a similar taped package and white envelope containing money.
Kilwein was on state probation, and his probation officer authorized a search of Kilwein, his bag and his residence. The bag contained $12,450 and each taped package weighed about 500 grams, or a little more than one pound, of meth. Kilwein was arrested and while being booked at the jail, detention staff found a bag with about four ounces of meth in his underwear.
In monitored jail calls, a drug task force officer listened to Kilwein instruct relatives to clean out his apartment, specifically telling them to get rid of stuff and that there was cash hidden in his apartment and other locations. At Kilwein’s apartment, officers seized an additional four pounds of meth and $3,900 located in a safe. Four pounds of meth is the equivalent of about 14,496 individual doses. Relatives consented to a search and voluntarily turned over $14,000. In addition, a search of Kilwein’s phone seized at his arrest showed messages to a Mexican phone number belonging to another person under investigation and who was living in Mexico.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Suek prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI task force.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Billings man admits drug conspiracy, firearms chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—Billings resident Nathan Thomas Trujillo, 41, admitted on Dec. 11 in federal court to drug trafficking and firearms charges in a conspiracy that brought methamphetamine from Denver, Colo., to the community, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
Trujillo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth, possession with intent to distribute meth and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided and will recommend Trujillo’s plea be accepted by U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen, who is assigned to the case.
Sentencing is set for April 24, 2019. Trujillo is detained.
Trujillo faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release on the drug counts. He also faces a minimum mandatory five years to life in prison consecutive to any other sentence on the firearms count.
If the case had gone to trial, the government would have presented the following information as evidence:
In August, drug task force agents began investigating a Billings area meth dealer, later identified as Trujillo, but who was living under a stolen identity to avoid arrest on an outstanding warrant. Agents conducted multiple drug buys with a co-conspirator of Trujillo’s and bought a total of about 13 ounces of meth.
Agents also learned that Trujillo traveled to Denver to obtain pound quantities of meth for re-distribution in the Billings area and got a court-authorized GPS tracking device for a vehicle Trujillo used. Information from the tracker indicated that Trujillo traveled to Denver on Aug. 31. Trujillo returned to Montana on Sept.7 and the Montana Highway Patrol arrested him at a gas station in Hardin.
Agents executed search warrants on Trujillo’s vehicle and apartment. From the vehicle, agents seized about 429 grams, or about 15 ounces, of meth, a 9mm pistol, a digital scale and plastic baggies. The 429 grams of meth is the equivalent of about 3,432 individual doses. Also found were additional firearms, illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia. From Trujillo’s apartment, agents seized another firearm and more drug paraphernalia.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the FBI task force.
The case is being brought as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Lewistown woman sentenced in methamphetamine caseRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS—A Lewistown woman convicted of possessing methamphetamine for distribution was sentenced on Tuesday to 54 months in prison and five years supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
Jahmel Halabi, 43, pleaded guilty to the charge in August.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided at sentencing.
On April 14, 2018 near Lewistown, a Montana Highway Patrol trooper stopped a car in which Halabi was a passenger. The trooper arrested Halabi on an outstanding warrant and took her to jail. Additional information that Halabi and the driver were involved in drug activity led to officers getting a search warrant for the car. A search turned up about 99 grams, or 3.5 ounces, of actual meth and baggies that were hidden in the dome light.
That same day, the Fergus County Sheriff’s Office reviewed jail calls and identified Halabi as having called a person and requesting he “get the stuff out of the car” and “the stuff out of the house.” Halabi also indicated that drugs were located in a safe in the residence and provided the safe’s combination in the jail call.
Lewistown police officers got a search warrant for Halabi’s residence and seized about 14 ounces of actual meth, $4,000 cash and drug paraphernalia.
During an interview with law enforcement, Halabi admitted to dealing meth and said officers had missed meth and firearms during the search of her home. Officers returned to the residence and seized about 31 ounces, or 1.95 pounds of actual meth, which is the equivalent of about 7,072 individual doses. Also seized were various rounds of ammunition and bank receipts.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Poplar man admits sex abuse chargeRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – Poplar resident Brian Douglas Eagle, 23, admitted sex abuse charges in federal court on Monday after he tried to assault the victim while she was taking a shower, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
Eagle pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided at the hearing. Sentencing is set for March 21, 2019. Eagle is detained.
Eagle faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life supervised release.
If the case had gone to trial, the government would have presented the following information as evidence:
On Feb. 7, 2018 in Poplar, on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, the victim was taking a shower by herself in her home when she saw a shadow. Eagle entered the shower. He was naked and pushed the victim to a corner of the shower. Eagle then had the victim touch him before letting her get out of the shower. The victim got dressed and ran to another house where she spent the night. The resident contacted law enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette Stewart and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Dake are prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Fort Peck Law Enforcement.
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Miles City man admits firearms chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—A Miles City man who admitted to making silencers pleaded guilty to four firearms violations during a federal court hearing on Monday, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
Brendan John Jones, 52, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record and to two counts of possession of a firearm not identified by serial number.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. Sentencing is set for April 24, 2019. Jones is released.
Jones faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $10,000 fine and three years supervised release.
If the case had gone to trial, the government would have presented the following information as evidence:
An investigation began in April 2018 when law enforcement received information that Jones was in possession of explosives and also making illegal silencers. Undercover agents met with Jones at his business, Jones Auto Detailing, and discussed explosives. Jones showed the agents dynamite that appeared to be old. The agents also asked about silencers for sale. Jones told the agents he made silencers out of Maglite flashlights and had made one from an aluminum baseball bat. The agents made preliminary arrangements to buy silencers and explosives.
On May 8, 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Jones’ business. Officers found a shoe box labeled as containing dynamite, homemade explosive devices and other items on top of a soda machine. Officers also found two homemade silencers and a portion of another part used to make a silencer. One of the silencers appeared to be made from a baseball bat, while the other appeared to have been made from a bicycle part.
In an interview with law enforcement the same day, Jones confessed to possessing the explosives and silencers and to manufacturing the silencers. None of the silencers recorded contained serial numbers.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.
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Man admits assaulting Fort Belknap law enforcement officerRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Hays man admitted assault charges on Monday in federal court after he attempted to stab a Fort Belknap law enforcement officer with a pair of scissors in a confrontation during which he got shot in the shoulder, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
Cody Michael Anderson, 24, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided at the hearing. Judge Morris set sentencing for March 21, 2019. Anderson is detained.
Anderson faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release.
If the case had gone to trial, the government would have presented the following information as evidence:
On May 7, 2018 south of Hays on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Anderson attacked a tribal officer with a pair of scissors. The officer thought the scissors was a knife because all he could see was something long and metal shining in the sunlight.
The assault occurred after tribal officers responded to a 911 call from Anderson, who had driven off a road and was stranded in Mission canyon. During the call, Anderson said the cops were taking too long and threatened to shoot a cop or tow truck he saw them. The officers treated the situation as a gun call.
At the scene, Anderson told one of the officers he should have kept going, pulled a pair of scissors from his backpack and made multiple attempts to slash or stab the officer. The officer attempted to taze Anderson and then shot him in the shoulder while trying to protect himself. Anderson remained combative after getting shot but eventually threw the scissors toward another officer and surrendered.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette Stewart is prosecuting the case, which was investigated FBI and the Fort Belknap Tribal Police.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.
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Honduras citizen admits illegal re-entryRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS—A citizen of Honduras who was arrested while working in Havre admitted in federal court on Monday to having illegally reentered the United States, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
Jose Alex Ventura-Padilla, 41, of Honduras, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided at the hearing. Judge Morris set sentencing for Jan. 23, 2019. Ventura-Padilla is detained.
Ventura-Padilla faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release.
If the case had gone to trial, the government would have presented the following information as evidence:
On Sept. 27, the Havre Sector Intelligence Unit of the U.S. Border Patrol received information that there was a crew working on a large water tank in Havre and that about a dozen of the workers were illegally in the country. Some of the workers had been deported multiple times. An investigation found that a North Carolina business was a subcontractor and had workers on the job.
Border Patrol agents observed one of the North Carolina company’s work trucks at a local restaurant. Three of the suspected water tower workers came out of the restaurant and walked toward the truck. An agent approached, identified himself and asked if the men were part of the crew working at the water tower. The men, including Ventura-Padilla, responded yes. Ventura-Padilla told the agent he was in the country illegally and did not have immigration documents.
Ventura-Padilla has two prior convictions for illegal reentry. He was last deported in 2010 after having served time on federal convictions and re-entered in 2015.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette Stewart is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol.
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Office manager of Billings business sentenced for embezzlementRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—Billings resident Jennifer Anne Thaw, who admitted embezzling approximately $390,680 from her employer where she worked as the office manager, was sentenced in federal court today to one year and one day in prison, three years supervised release and ordered to pay restitution, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
Presiding U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters also ordered six months of house arrest after prison and set restitution at $392,930.71.
Thaw, 45, pleaded guilty in March to four counts of wire fraud.
Thaw, who worked as a controller and office manager for J & S Recovery, Inc., embezzled the money during a five-year period, from 2012 to August 2017. Through her job, Thaw had access to the company’s financial and banking information, including online access to the firm’s bank account.
As part of her scheme to defraud the company, Thaw used the online access to transfer money from the company’s bank account into her own personal checking account at a different bank. To conceal the missing money, Thaw did not record the transfers in the company’s financial accounting software program.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
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Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned this week before U.S. Magistrate judges and indictments handed down by the Grand Jury were unsealed. Indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston on Dec. 4 in Great Falls and pleading not guilty was:
MICHELE WOODS, 50, of Great Falls, on charges of theft from a program receiving federal funding. If convicted of the most serious charge, Woods faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release. The case was investigated by the FBI. Pacer case reference. 18-94.
Appearing on Dec. 6 and pleading not guilty was:
ELY MASON SCOTT WILLIAMS, 20, of Great Falls, on charges of receipt of firearm by person while under indictment. If convicted of the most serious charge, Williams faces a maximum five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Great Falls Police Department. Pacer case reference. 18-88.
SHEVYN EUGENE MARSHALL, 35, of Belt, on charges of conspiracy to distribute explosives without a license and possession of stolen explosives. If convicted of the most serious charge, Marshall faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Russell Country Drug Task Force. Pacer case reference. 18-90.
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan on Dec. 4 in Billings and pleading not guilty was:
ANGEL ALBERT ALVARADO, 50, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. If convicted of the most serious charge, Alvarado faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Pacer case reference. 18-121.
If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system.
To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Blackfeet Tribe’s Head Start Program employees admit theft, fraud chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – Two employees who worked for the Blackfeet Tribe’s Head Start Program in Browning admitted in federal court on Thursday to stealing money through an overall scheme involving others in which an estimated $232,000 was fraudulently claimed as overtime pay, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
Patrick H. Calf Boss Ribs, Jr., 44, of Browning, and Theresa Marie Calf Boss Ribs, 51, each pleaded guilty to theft from an Indian tribal government receiving federal funding and to wire fraud.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided at the hearings. Judge Morris set sentencing for both defendants for March 14. Both defendants are released.
Each defendant faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release.
Patrick H. Calf Boss Ribs, Jr., also faces restitution and a money judgment of $33,496.46, which is the amount he received in overtime claims.
Theresa Calf Boss Ribs also faces restitution and a money judgment of $57,048.24, which is the amount she received in overtime claims.
If the case had proceeded to trial, the government would have presented the following information as evidence:
The Blackfeet Tribe operates the Head Start Program with funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Head Start provides early childhood education and other services for low-income children and their families.
During a 15-month period, starting in April 2013, the defendants and others falsely claimed 7,800 hours of overtime and received more than $232,000 in overtime pay from the Head Start program. 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 HHS $250,620.29 for disallowed costs and other expenses.
After an on-site review of the program by government authorities from Washington, D.C., the defendants along with others met in a conference room. Despite not actually working the hours, everyone present in the room agreed to continue claiming overtime.
Theresa Calf Boss Ribs, who was the Early Head Start manager and had other roles, and Patrick H. Calf Boss Ribs, Jr., who was the nutrition manager and payroll clerk, were in charge of monitoring the time cards. At the end of the pay period, individuals in the group would stop by to sign their time cards for the pay period. The time cards were already completed by the defendants and included false overtime hours.
Other Head Start workers told investigators they never saw Blackfeet Head Start personnel working late nights or on weekends. The program’s board chairman was unaware of the overtime claims, identified budget cuts that were necessary during the time period of the fraud and was unaware of any needs that would have justified the overtime claims by the defendants.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Weldon is prosecuting the case, which is was investigated by the FBI and HHS.
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Laurel man sentenced to two years for having stolen gunRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – Laurel resident David Dorrow Roundy, 42, was sentenced to two years in federal prison and three years supervised release on Thursday, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
Roundy pleaded guilty in August to possession of a stolen firearm, a .22 caliber bolt-action rifle.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided at sentencing.
In March 2017, law enforcement responded to a series of burglaries near 64th Street South in Billings and learned that a suspect had been seen fleeing on foot. At about the same time, officers received a call of a pickup truck being stolen in the area.
Officers pursued the truck, which left the road, went through a fence and across a field before becoming disabled. The suspect, identified as Roundy, fled on foot but was tracked to a garage and arrested. A pat-down search of Roundy turned up a rifle magazine and live rounds of ammunition.
Further investigation determined that ammunition found in the truck was the same brand and caliber as ammunition found on Roundy. And during a search of the immediate area of the stolen pickup, officers found a .22 caliber bolt-action rifle in the snow in an irrigation ditch. The rifle used the same magazines that were found in Roundy’s possession and were the same brand of ammunition as found in the stolen pickup. A trace on the rifle determined that its original purchaser had been the victim of a burglary in March 2017 and lived in the same general area as the burglaries and the recovery of the stolen pickup.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.
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Bozeman man sentenced in firearms caseRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—A Bozeman man convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm was sentenced to 22 months in federal prison and three years supervised release on Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
Anthony Jones, 27, pleaded guilty to the charge in August.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided at the sentencing. Judge Watters ordered the sentence to be consecutive to a state District Court sentence in Gallatin County.
Jones was convicted in Gallatin County in August 2017 of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony, and as a result, was prohibited from possessing firearms.
In March 2018, an individual bought a 9mm semi-automatic pistol at Livingston pawn shop. A few days later, Livingston police officers responded to an incident a local motel where Jones, the person who had purchased the pistol and another person were present.
In an interview with law enforcement, Jones admitted to possessing the firearm several times before the weekend police responded to the motel incident and had helped load and clean the pistol.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Dake prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.
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West Yellowstone woman admits embezzling more than a half-million dollars from employerRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A West Yellowstone woman admitted today in federal court to embezzling more than a half million dollars from her employer over a seven-year period, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
Ann Bennett Hermanson, 54, pleaded guilty to wire fraud during a hearing in Missoula.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah C. Lynch presided. Judge Lynch set sentencing for April 12. Hermanson is released.
Hermanson faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release. A restitution agreement calls for Hermanson to pay $501,975.50.
If the case had gone to trial, the government would have presented the following information as evidence:
Hermanson worked for 15 years as a para-professional in the West Yellowstone office of a regional accounting and business services company. As a para-professional, Hermanson had access to bank account information and signature stamps for the company’s customers.
Starting in 2009 and continuing until April 2016, Hermanson embezzled about $630,327.88 from several accounts belonging to the company’s customers. She has repaid some of the money and has agreed to $501,975.50 restitution.
The thefts were discovered in April 2016 when a customer reported irregularities in her business account to the company’s corporate office.
Hermanson embezzled funds by writing checks to herself for personal credit card expenses and other bills and using customers’ signature stamps to sign the checks. She also obtained a duplicate credit card for one victim’s account and used it to make unauthorized purchases.
When approached by a company employee in April 2016 about suspicious transactions, Hermanson admitted to embezzling money. She also admitted the thefts to an FBI agent and identified five business accounts from which she stole money.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Racicot is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
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Flathead County man admits illegal possession of a machine gun, short barreled rifle, silencer and grenadeRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – Flathead County resident Bruce Boone Wann admitted in federal court today to firearms violations after an investigation found he illegally possessed a number of weapons and made an effort to hide them from law enforcement, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
Wann, 61, of Kila, pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a machine gun, an unregistered silencer, a short barreled rifle and a destructive device, specifically, a grenade. Wann is facing a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah C. Lynch presided at the hearing.
If the case had gone to trial, the government would have presented the following information as evidence:
During an investigation that began in June, law enforcement learned that Wann had kept buried or hidden firearms, ammunition, a grenade, dynamite, and other items on various properties in the Marion area. Wann claimed he had stolen some of the items from a government bunker in California many years earlier.
Wann later broke into a Flathead County residence where he had previously arranged for a number of his other firearms to be stored. Wann then took not only his firearms, but also stole other firearms that did not belong to him. Investigators also learned Wann had made various threats of violence against people in Flathead County.
Judge Lynch set sentencing for April 12. Wann is detained.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Elliott and Taryn Meeks, a trial attorney with the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, prosecuted the case. The case was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Secret Service and the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office.
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Justice Department Announces Funding Opportunities to Support Public Safety in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
Application deadline is 9:00 p.m. EDT, Feb. 26, 2019
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Justice, along with Montana U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme, this week announced the opening of the grant solicitation period for comprehensive funding to Indian Country to support crime prevention, victim services, and coordinated community responses to violence against native women.
The Department’s FY 2019 Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, or CTAS, is posted online at www.justice.gov/tribal/open-solicitations. The solicitation contains details about available grants and describes how federally-recognized tribes, tribal consortia and Alaska Native villages can apply for the funds.
Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio said, “This funding will give tribal officials the tools they need to fight violent crime, protect their citizens, serve victims, and deliver justice.”
“This grant funding offers Montana’s tribes an opportunity to seek resources in a variety of areas to help tribal officials improve public safety, assist victims of crime and reduce violence against women. We encourage tribal officials to apply for these grants,” Alme said.
In fiscal year 2018, Montana’s tribes received an estimated award total of $1.39 million in Department grant funding. The grants went to the Blackfeet Nation, $450,000 for Violence Against Women Tribal Governments Program and $350,000 for Juvenile Healing to Wellness court; Fort Belknap Indian Community, $271,147 for Children’s Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities; and Ft. Peck Assiniboine & Sioux Tribes, $322,641 for Children’s Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities.
The funding from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) can be used to for a variety of public safety and justice-related projects and services. Funds can be used to enhance law enforcement; bolster adult and juvenile justice systems; prevent and control juvenile delinquency; serve native victims of crimes such as child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, and elder abuse; improve responses to violence against native women; and support other efforts to combat crime.
New to CTAS for FY 2019 is funding designated specifically to address violent crime in native communities (Purpose Area 10). Additionally, the Comprehensive Tribal Victim Assistance Program will be replaced by the Tribal Victim Services Program (Purpose Area 7) in FY 2019. This new program will provide funding to a larger number of applicants and provides funding for a broad range of activities, including a needs assessment, strategic planning, program development and implementation, program expansion, and other actions to address the victim service needs of tribes.
Applications for CTAS are submitted online through the Department’s Grants Management System, or “GMS.” Applicants must register with GMS prior to submitting an application. The application deadline is 9 p.m. EDT, Feb. 26, 2019. Applicants will submit a single application and select from any or all of the 10 competitive grant programs, referred to as “purpose areas.” This approach allows the Department’s grant-making components to consider the totality of a tribal nation’s overall public safety needs.
The 10 purpose areas are:
- COPS Office’s Public Safety and Community Policing
- Comprehensive Tribal Justice Systems Strategic Planning
- BJA’s Tribal Justice Systems
- BJA’s Tribal Justice System Infrastructure Program
- OVW’s Violence Against Women Tribal Governments Program
- OVC’s Children’s Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities
- OVC’s Tribal Victim Services Program
- OJJDP’s Juvenile Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts
- OJJDP’s Tribal Youth Program
- BJA’s Addressing Violent Crime in Native Communities
Fact sheets detailing each of the individual purpose areas can be found online at: www.justice.gov/tribal/grants. The Department will also facilitate a series of webinars to guide applicants through the CTAS application requirements. Details, including how to register for these webinars, will be made available online in coming weeks at www.justice.gov/tribal/open-solicitations.
Additionally, tribes and tribal consortia may also be eligible for non-tribal federal grant programs and are encouraged to explore other funding opportunities, which may be found at DOJ’s Tribal Justice and Safety website at www.justice.gov/tribal/open-solicitations or the www.grants.gov website.
In FY 2018, the Department funded 125 tribes with 225 awards across nine grant programs totaling more than $113 million.
CTAS is administered by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and Office on Violence Against Women.
The announcement is part of the DOJ’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
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Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned this week before U.S. Magistrate judges and indictments handed down by the Grand Jury were unsealed. Indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan in Billings on Nov. 26 and pleading not guilty was:
CHARLES FABIEN IDHEN, 38, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Idhen faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Pacer case reference. 18-136.
Appearing on Nov. 27 and pleading not guilty was:
DARRELL LEE WHITEMAN, JR., 29, of Lame Deer, on voluntary manslaughter. If convicted, Whiteman faces a maximum 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release. The case was investigated by the FBI. Pacer case reference. 18-145.
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston on Nov. 27 in Great Falls and pleading not guilty was:
GARY ALLEN JIMENEZ, 24, Heart Butte, on charges of sexual abuse of a minor and distribution of a controlled substance to a person under 21. If convicted of the most serious crime, Jimenez faces a minimum mandatory one year to 40 years in prison, a $2 million fine and six years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Blackfeet Nation law enforcement and FBI. Pacer case reference. 18-91.
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah C. Lynch on Thursday in Missoula and pleading not guilty was:
JOHN GREGORY ALEXANDER HERRIN, 27, Helena, on charges of interstate transportation of stolen property, money laundering and attempted witness tampering. If convicted of the most serious charge, Herrin faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release. The case was investigated by the FBI and Secret Service. Pacer case reference. 16-15.
If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system.
To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Flathead County man admits sexual exploitation chargeRead the Press Release
MISSOULA—Flathead County resident Allen Duane Turman, 43, pleaded guilty on Thursday in federal court to sexual exploitation of a child, said U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme today.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided at the hearing.
Turman faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life supervised release. He is detained.
In October 2017, law enforcement received a call about a thumb drive that belonged to Turman. An analysis of files on the thumb drive found it contained a video of a girl who was under the age of 18 and that the video was created a year or two earlier in Kalispell. The video depicts the girl engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Other files on the device indicated that Turman had created the video.
When interviewed in August 2018, Turman said he was using drugs at the time and that his memory was poor. While he did not specifically recall making the video on the thumb drive, he did not dispute that he created it.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee Peterson is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, the Billings Police Department and the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood, which was launched in 2006 to combat the increase in technology-based 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. The project is implemented through partnerships including the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
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Butte man sentenced to 10 years in prison for meth traffickingRead the Press Release
MISSOULA—A Butte man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on Thursday for his role in a large methamphetamine conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
Steven Francis Reychler, 70, was sentenced to five years in prison for conviction on conspiracy to possess meth for distribution, a consecutive five years in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and five years supervised release. He pleaded guilty to the charges on Aug. 16.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided at the sentencing.
An investigation found that in March 2016, Reychler sold a confidential informant four ounces of meth in Butte and mentioned bringing multiple pounds of meth to Butte from Las Vegas. Two months later, law enforcement officers arrested co-defendant Jennifer Lynn Marshall, who is Reychler’s niece, in Dillon. Marshall was headed to California to buy four pounds of meth. She had $12,000 and a handgun in her possession when arrested. Judge Christensen recently sentenced Marshall to eight years in prison for her conviction in the case.
When interviewed, Reychler admitted to investigators he had sent Marshall to California to buy four pounds of meth for him and gave her his .380 pistol when she asked to take along a firearm.
The four ounces of meth the March 2016 sale was found to contain 112 grams of pure meth, which is the equivalent of about 896 doses.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bartleson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the Missouri River Drug Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.
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Judge sentences man to prison in firearms caseRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—A man who admitted to illegally possessing a firearm was sentenced to federal prison on Thursday, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters sentenced Charles Jestin McCalister, 34, to 50 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
McCalister pleaded guilty on July 30 to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
An investigation began on April 30, when a Billings Police officer conducted a traffic stop for speeding and observed McCalister, the driver, appear to be putting something under his seat. The officer arrested McCalister on outstanding warrants. McCalister consented to a search of the vehicle and told the officer there was a firearm in it. The officer recovered a 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
McCalister, who has a record of felony and misdemeanor convictions for partner/family member assault and possession of dangerous drugs, was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.
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Fort Peck Reservation meth trafficker sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS—A Wolf Point woman convicted of trafficking methamphetamine on the Fort Peck Reservation was sentenced on Wednesday to 41 months in prison and four years supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
Taurean Grandchamp, 31, pleaded guilty on Aug. 23 to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided at sentencing.
In October 2017 and in January, the Montana Highway Patrol made two traffic stops of vehicles with Arizona license plates on the reservation and near Wolf Point. The driver and passenger were the same in both stops. Drug information from those stops led law enforcement officers to Grandchamp, who admitted to distributing meth on the reservation. She told law enforcement that she was provided with one pound of meth for distribution in 2017. Other individuals also described Grandchamp selling meth with the driver and passenger of the vehicles that were stopped by the MHP.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Dake prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and the Fort Peck Department of Law and Justice.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.
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California man sentenced to prison for meth dealing in Great FallsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS—U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme announced today that Michael Christopher Laird, 26, of California, was sentenced on Wednesday to 10 years in prison and five years supervised release for conviction on methamphetamine charges.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided at the hearing.
Laird pleaded guilty on Aug. 23 to possession with intent to distribute meth.
An investigation began in March when Great Falls Police officers responded to a local business for a shoplifting call in which Laird was present with a suspect. Information from cell phone text messages and other evidence showed that Laird was involved in sending meth to Great Falls and wiring money to California. A Great Falls resident claimed Laird and another person broke into his home looking for a package of meth and threatened to attack him with a machete if he didn’t get the package. The resident gave Laird the package.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Russell Country Drug Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.
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Billings woman sentenced for meth traffickingRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A federal judge sentenced Billings resident Nichole Renee Waldhalm today to five years in prison and five years supervised release for her conviction in a conspiracy that brought meth from California to the Billings area for distribution, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided at the sentencing.
Waldhalm, 40, pleaded guilty on July 19 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth.
In October 2017, drug task force officers received information that Waldhalm was distributing meth she had received from California. Investigators worked with a confidential informant, who made a series of meth buys ranging from a quarter ounce to a half ounce of meth from Waldhalm. In December, Waldhalm was arrested by the Montana Highway Patrol and was found to be in possession of an ounce of meth, an ounce of cocaine and a stolen firearm.
Waldhalm admitted to law enforcement she had been selling meth since October 2016 and that in September 2017, she and a co-defendant brought between two to four ounces of meth from California to Montana.
The conspiracy involved more than 50 grams of actual meth. The amount is the equivalent of about 400 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 Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI and Billings Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.
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Mexico resident sentenced for illegal reentryRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme announced that on Monday, Cirilo Marcial-Ramirez, a Mexico citizen from Oaxaca, was sentenced to 174 days of time served and to one year of supervised release for conviction of illegal re-entry.
District Judge Brian M. Morris presided at the hearing.
Ramirez, 34, pleaded guilty to the charge on Oct. 29.
An investigation began in September 2017 when Great Falls Police Department officers contacted Ramirez regarding a traffic accident and arrested him for traffic offenses. Ramirez gave a false name and birth date, but investigators identified Ramirez through fingerprints. Ramirez had been deported from the United States in February 2010 after being convicted of felony and misdemeanor offenses in Kansas. He did not have permission as required by statute to re-enter the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette Stewart prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Great Falls Police Department and Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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Information: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan in Billings. Indictments handed down by the Grand Jury were unsealed. Indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
CHARLES EUGENE VENDITTI, 41, of Billings, appeared 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 charge, the defendant faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Pacer case reference. 18-147
DAVID CHARLES SPENCER, 45, of Billings, appeared on charges of possession with intent to distribute meth, distribution of meth, use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense, prohibited person in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in a school zone. If convicted of the most serious drug charge, the defendant faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years supervised release. If convicted of the most serious firearms charge, the defendant faces a minimum mandatory 10 years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Pacer case reference. 18-144
If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system.
To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Information: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned before U.S. magistrate judges this week. Indictments handed down by the Grand Jury were unsealed. Indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan in Billings on Nov. 20 and entering Not Guilty pleas were:
ARLYN JUAN CASTRO, 35, of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, appeared on charges of failing to register as a sex offender. If convicted of the most serious charge, the defendant faces a maximum 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshal’s Service. Pacer case reference. 18-133
EUGENE MAJOR BIGBACK, JR., 59, of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, appeared on charges of failing to register as a sex offender. If convicted of the most serious charge, the defendant faces a maximum 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshal’s Service. Pacer case reference. 18-132
RENIE RAYMOND JOSEPH FILLION, 34, of Livingston, appeared on charges of distribution of methamphetamine, receipt of a firearm while under indictment and possession of an unregistered firearm. If convicted of the most serious charge, the defendant faces a minimum mandatory five years to 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Pacer case reference. 18-134
FRANCISCO MORALES, 44, of Lubbock, Texas, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess methamphetamine for distribution and possession of meth for distribution. If convicted of the most serious charge, the defendant faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison and a $10 million fine. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Pacer case reference. 18-139
If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system.
To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Bozeman man sentenced in firearms caseRead the Press Release
MISSOULA—Bozeman resident Sean O’Neal Carr was sentenced to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release on Nov. 16 for illegal firearms possession, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme announced.
Carr, 42, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm on Aug. 7.
Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided at the hearing.
An investigation found that Carr, having been convicted of felony drug possession in Montana, possessed a 9mm semi-automatic pistol on Aug. 29, 2017 in Bozeman. Law enforcement arrested Carr after a Bozeman Police officer offered to help Carr and a woman who had been locked out of a vehicle.
As the officer approached, he noticed that Carr was openly carrying a pistol on his hip. Carr used a homemade tool to open the vehicle door and the woman left. When the officer spoke to Carr, he noticed Carr was fidgeting and seemed uncomfortable and that his behavior was similar to those he had seen on methamphetamine. The officer detained Carr after he identified himself and told the officer he was on probation. The officer took possession of the gun, which was loaded with a full magazine and had a round in the chamber.
Carr told law enforcement later that the firearm was a birthday present and that he’d had it for about a month.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bozeman Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.
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Billings man sentenced for distributing methRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme announced today that Billings resident Robert John Bigback was sentenced on Tuesday to five years in prison and five years of supervised release for distributing methamphetamine.
Bigback, 23, pleaded guilty on July 16, 2018 to two counts of distribution of meth.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided at sentencing.
After receiving information about meth for sale in April 2017, the FBI drug task force used a confidential informant to buy meth from a co-defendant at a hardware store in the Billings Heights. After the co-defendant counted the money, Bigback gave the informant the meth. Another meth sale was arranged a few days later and occurred at Rimrock Mall, where Bigback conducted the sale in the bathroom of a department store. The two sales involved about 20 grams of pure meth, which is the equivalent of about 160 individual doses and has a street value of about $2,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Suek prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.
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Billings man sentenced in firearms theftRead the Press Release
BILLNGS—Billings resident Austin Lee Lamb was sentenced to two years in prison on Monday for conviction of theft and possessing stolen firearms after a pawn shop burglary, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme announced.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided at the hearing. Judge Watters also ordered Lamb to pay $650 restitution and imposed three years supervised release.
Lamb, 19, pleaded guilty on June 26 to theft from a federally licensed firearms dealer and to possession of stolen firearms.
An investigation into a burglary at Northwest Pawn & Gun in Billings on April 13, 2017 led to Lamb. A surveillance video showed three individuals attempting to break into the business and eventually Lamb pried open a door. All three persons entered. Lamb was convicted of having possessed a stolen semi-automatic pistol and an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Suek prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.
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Billings man sentenced for illegal firearms possessionRead the Press Release
BILLNGS—U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme announced today that Lance X. Ratcliff, a Billings resident, was sentenced on Tuesday to 15 months in prison and three years supervised release for illegally possessing a shotgun that was found between the mattress and box spring of his bed.
U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided at sentencing.
Ratcliff pleaded guilty in June to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
The investigation began in March 2018 after Ratcliff provided a urine sample to the Montana Department of Corrections, Billings Probation and Parole Office as part of conditions of supervision in a Wyoming case. Ratcliff had been convicted of felony possession of cocaine in Wyoming in 2017. The drug test result was positive, which led to a search of Ratcliff’s residence.
During the search, law enforcement officers recovered a 12 gauge pump action shotgun, which was loaded with five rounds of ammunition, from between the mattress and box spring of the bed in Ratcliff’s bedroom. Officers also recovered a box of 12 gauge shotgun ammunition from a closet. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined that the shotgun had been stolen from a Billings resident in April 2014.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the ATF.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.
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Missoula man sentenced for firearms, probation violationRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme announced that Missoula resident William Dale Newhoff, Jr. was sentenced on Nov. 16, 2018 to a total of 69 months in prison for probation and firearms violations after law enforcement officers arrested him following a high-speed chase.
Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen sentenced Newhoff, 36, to 51 months and to three years supervised release for his conviction on being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Judge Christensen ordered the sentence to be consecutive to an 18-month prison sentenced imposed earlier in the day by U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy.
Judge Molloy sentenced Newhoff to 18 months in prison after he revoked Newhoff’s supervised release in two earlier cases in which he was convicted of two firearms violations in one case and of escape in a second case.
In January 2018, Newhoff was a federal fugitive. The Missoula County Sheriff’s Office located Newhoff in East Missoula on Jan. 30, 2018 and notified the U.S. Marshal’s Service. After a high-speed chase and extensive search, law enforcement officers arrested Newhoff in a trailer house in Missoula County. When officers found Newhoff standing behind a door, he was holding a 9mm pistol and had ammunition in his jacket pocket. He was arrested without incident.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson prosecuted the firearms case, which was investigated by the U.S. Marshal’s Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.
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Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes' Pharmacy settles claimsRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ Pharmacy and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have reached an agreement settling alleged pharmacy violations in which the pharmacy will pay a $95,520 civil penalty and take other steps to ensure compliance with federal law and Drug Enforcement Administration regulations, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme announced.
The settlement agreement is the result of an inspection by the DEA for activity from March 2017 to March 2018. The DEA has the responsibility to inspect pharmacies or medical providers that dispense controlled substances to ensure they are complying with federal regulations. The regulations are designed to prevent the theft or diversion of controlled substances to unauthorized users.
The DEA conducted the inspection after it learned that approximately 2,500 oxycodone pills had been stolen or unaccounted for from the Tribes’ pharmacy in St. Ignatius, on the Flathead Indian Reservation. During the investigation, the DEA discovered significant violations of the regulations, including failing to adequately track records of the controlled substances in the pharmacy and failing to report the missing oxycodone pills to the DEA.
In addition to the $95,520 penalty, the pharmacy also must take numerous measures to ensure compliance in the future. The pharmacy must conduct annual evaluations of its compliance for three years and certify to the DEA that it is meeting all regulatory requirements. If it has future violations, the pharmacy will be subject to a judgment for the full potential penalty of $240,640 for the alleged violations.
“This settlement is an important step toward ensuring that opioids are properly controlled in the CSKT Pharmacy,” said U.S. Attorney Alme. “For the safety of the community, we need to ensure that the pharmacy is managed responsibly in the future. The penalty puts every pharmacy in Montana on notice that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and DEA will vigorously enforce controlled substance regulations to prevent diversion of the prescription opioids that are harming our communities.”
“We appreciate the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes taking this issue seriously. It is our hope that this settlement and the tribe’s plan to bring the pharmacy into compliance with the Code of Federal Regulations requirements will prevent future diversion of controlled substances,” said Stacy Zinn-Brittain, DEA regional agent in charge for Montana.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Dishong worked on the settlement agreement. The DEA’s Western Montana Tactical Diversion Squad investigated the case.
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Two Bozeman men sentenced for discharging lead contaminated wastewater into public sewer systemRead the Press Release
MISSOULA—Two operators of USA Brass, Inc., a former Bozeman company that cleaned and recycled spent ammunition casings, were sentenced this week in U.S. District Court after they admitted to illegal discharges of lead contaminated water into a public sewer system, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme announced.
Chief U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen on Thursday sentenced Zachary Daniel Flanagan, 27, of Bozeman, to five years of probation and imposed a $50,000 fine.
On Friday, the judge sentenced co-defendant Nolan Michael Schimpf, 27, of Bozeman, to five years of probation and imposed a $50,000 fine.
Flanagan, the chief executive officer, pleaded guilty on Aug. 9, 2018 to making a false statement, a felony, while Schimpf, the company’s chief production officer, pleaded guilty the same day to negligent discharge of pollutants, a misdemeanor.
“The defendants violated the city’s wastewater pretreatment program when they discharged lead contaminated wastewater into the public sewer system,” said Jeffrey Martinez, special agent in charge of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigative Division in Montana.
“Defendant Flanagan falsified information to obtain permission for the discharges, and in doing so jeopardized the public’s health and safety. Today’s sentencing demonstrates that violators can expect to face prosecution,” Martinez said.
An investigation found illegal discharges into the City of Bozeman’s public wastewater treatment system occurred in the fall of 2013. USA Brass brought in spent ammunition casings from military bases, shooting ranges and recycling centers, cleaned and polished the brass casings and then sold them for reuse. The casings were placed in cement mixers where they were cleaned in a water and vinegar solution. After cleaning, the wastewater was drained from the cement mixers and collected in blue totes, which held about 300 gallons each. During the cleaning process, the wastewater became contaminated with lead, which is a toxic metal. The lead in the wastewater was high enough to be considered a pollutant under the Clean Water Act.
In November 2013, Flanagan contacted by email Dustin Johnson, the pretreatment coordinator of the Bozeman wastewater facility, to try to get permission for USA Brass to discharge lead wastewater into the city sewer system. Johnson told Flanagan he would have to get the wastewater analyzed and submit test results. Flanagan submitted lab test results and a signed wastewater survey in which he maintained the information about the cleaning process was true and accurate. Flanagan asked to dispose of the wastewater through the sewer saying it met all city standards.
Flanagan followed up the request in December with another email to Johnson seeking approval to dispose the wastewater through the sewer and told him that an environmental analyst who reviewed the lab results said it would be fine to send the wastewater down the sewer.
However, Flanagan’s statements to Johnson were false because he knew that an environmental consultant had not reviewed the lab results and concluded the wastewater would be fine for discharge to the public system.
On the same day in December, Johnson responded to Flanagan’s email and, based on Flanagan’s false statements, authorized the discharge of the lead wastewater into the sewer system.
When Johnson learned that Flanagan had provided him false information, he told investigators he would never have granted the company permission to discharge the wastewater.
The investigation also found that in September 2013, USA Brass installed a sink in the facility to dispose of the lead wastewater into the city sewer system. Employees reported that the blue totes containing the wastewater were moved to the sink on a forklift and the contents were pumped into the sink until the totes were empty. A filtration system was abandoned after a few days because it got clogged.
Flanagan and Schimpf were present on more than one occasion as the wastewater was being pumped down the sink but neither stopped the discharge or sought permission for the discharge.
By being present and doing nothing to stop the unauthorized discharges, Schimpf negligently causing the wastewater to be discharged.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Whittaker and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric E. Nelson and investigated by the EPA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Racicot represented the U.S. Attorney’s Office at sentencing.
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Minnesota couple admits possessing nearly 1,000 pounds marijuanaRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—A Minnesota couple admitted on Thursday in U.S. District Court to possessing for distribution nearly 1,000 pounds of marijuana in their recreational vehicle after getting arrested in Miles City, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Steven Thomas Robinson, 59, and his wife, Vicki Lynn Robinson, 59, of Milaca, Minn., each pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana. The maximum penalty is a minimum mandatory five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and four years supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided at the hearing.
On Aug. 30, 2017, the Montana Highway Patrol’s Eastern Montana Interdiction Task Force received information from a Minnesota drug task force that an RV was transporting a large quantity of marijuana from California to Minnesota. The Montana Highway Patrol located the RV in a Walmart parking lot in Miles City and began surveilling the vehicle. The RV left the parking lot and stopped at the Gold Dust Casino parking lot. Officers saw two occupants of the RV leave the casino and head to the RV. The officers approached and began talking to the couple, identified as the Robinsons.
When the officers asked for license and registration documents, Vicki Robinson said the registration was in the RV. When she opened the door, officers smelled a strong order of raw marijuana. A police K-9 then alerted to the vehicle.
Steven Robinson agreed to speak with officers and admitted there was about 800 pounds of marijuana in the RV and that he was transporting it. He told officers he had delivered before and was paid $20,000. He also consented to a search of the RV and his cell phone. Officers found about 960 pounds of marijuana.
Judge Watters set sentencing for March 14 in Billings. The couple was released.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Eastern Montana Interdiction Task Force.
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Information: Federal Court ArraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate judges and indictments handed down by the Grand Jury unsealed. Indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate John T. Johnston in Great Falls on Nov. 14, 2018 and entering a Not Guilty plea was:
AARON JAMES PEPION, 38, of Browning, appeared on charges of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious charge in the indictment, Pepion faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release. The case was investigated by the FBI and Blackfeet Tribal law enforcement. Pacer case reference. 18-92
Appearing on Nov. 15 and entering a Not Guilty plea was:
KRIS DALE HARDING, 47, of Sun Prairie, appeared on charges of conspiracy to distribute explosives without a license, possession of stolen explosives and prohibited person in possession of explosives. If convicted of the most serious charge, Harding faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Russell Country Drug Task Force. Pacer case reference. 18-90
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan in Billings on Nov. 13 and entering a Not Guilty plea was:
JENICA D. PASSES, 30, of Crow Agency, appeared on charges of theft of government property and misappropriation of postal funds. If convicted of the most serious charge in the indictment, Passes faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release. The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service. Pacer case reference. 18-127
If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system.
To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Helena woman sentenced for wire fraud; aggravated identity theftRead the Press Release
HELENA—U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme announced today that Katherine Marie Krieger, a Helena resident, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison, three years supervised release and ordered to pay $236,924.17 restitution for stealing a person’s personal identity and using it to embezzle money from an investment account.
Senior U.S. District Judge Charles C. Lovell presided at the sentencing.
Krieger, 30, also known as Katherine Marie Waayenberg, pleaded guilty on Sept. 11 to wire fraud and to aggravated identity theft as part of plea agreement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Racicot said the embezzlement scheme ran from February 2015 to August 2015. Krieger, and her then-husband, had moved from Michigan to Montana in 2010 so her husband could work for a company in Helena. Krieger befriended the owners of the company and then started embezzling from their Edward Jones investment account.
During the embezzlement, Krieger made 58 payments to her Capital One credit card account using money from the victims’ Edward Jones account. The total loss associated with the Edward Jones transactions was $109,138.49, but Krieger agreed to pay more for losses associated with her scheme.
When questioned about the theft in August 2015, Krieger claimed her mail had been stolen, including a check she had received for babysitting services from the victims. She also claimed she thought her identity had been stolen and that the perpetrator must have used the victims’ Edward Jones account number – obtained from the babysitting check – to make the Capital One credit card payments. And she claimed she thought the perpetrator who stole her identity must have obtained that credit card without her knowledge.
The investigation, however, found that Krieger had deposited the babysitting check into her personal bank account and that the Capital One credit card charges were for goods and services she received.
AUSA Racicot prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and the Lewis and Clark Sheriff’s Office.
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Deer Lodge man sentenced in child pornography caseRead the Press Release
HELENA-- Deer Lodge resident Rex Thomas Kendall, who admitted to possessing child pornography, was sentenced on Thursday to 35 months in prison and 15 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
Senior U.S. District Judge Charles C. Lovell presided at sentencing.
Kendall, 62, pleaded guilty on Sept. 12, 2018 to possessing child porn.
An investigation began in November 2017 after the editor of the Silver State Post, which contracted with Kendall to write stories, found child porn images on a thumb drive Kendall used to submit stories to the newspaper. The editor had provided Kendall the thumb drive several months earlier. The editor had assigned Kendall two stories, which he submitted for review on the device. The editor reviewed the stories then found the child porn images when he decided to clean up the thumb drive for Kendall.
The next day, Kendall left his personal laptop in his work area at the Post’s offices. Newspaper officials, who had delivered the thumb drive to law enforcement, also turned over the laptop to investigators.
After getting search warrants, FBI investigators examined the laptop and thumb drive and found numerous images of child porn. The investigation also determined that Kendall would use the newspaper’s internet service for personal matters and that it was not unusual for him to be at the office late in the evenings or on weekends.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bartleson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Powell County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and FBI.
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California man sentenced in methamphetamine conspiracyRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A California man who admitted being part of an organization that brought multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine to the Billings area and Crow Indian Reservation was sentenced on Thursday to eight years in prison and five years supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided at the sentencing of Miguel Morales, 27, of San Jose, who pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute meth.
In the summer of 2015, law enforcement officers began investigating a drug trafficking organization in which men from San Jose, Calif., were bringing multi-pound quantities of meth Montana for distribution. The investigation found that Morales worked with the organization and in 2016 was in Billings and Crow Agency to distribute meth to others and to collect money.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Suek prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI task force and Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.
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California man gets 10 years for Kalispell meth traffickingRead the Press Release
MISSOULA—A man who admitted bringing methamphetamine to Kalispell for distribution was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on Thursday, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen sentenced Christopher George Nomura, 35, of Corona, Ca., to five years for conviction on possession with intent to distribute meth, a consecutive five years for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and to five years supervised release.
Nomura pleaded guilty to the charges on Aug. 1, 2018.
Law enforcement officers arrested Nomura at a Kalispell hotel in February 2016 after a confidential informant bought meth from Nomura’s codefendant. The codefendant told investigators he drove with Nomura to Kalispell and that Nomura had brought meth to sell. When agents arrested Nomura, they found two pistols and a baggie of meth on his person.
Nomura admitted to agents he and his codefendant drove from California in early 2016 with about a pound of meth to distribute and that he had returned to California and got more meth for distribution in Kalispell.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bartleson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Northwest Drug Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.
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Butte woman sentenced in meth trafficking caseRead the Press Release
MISSOULA—U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme announced that Jennifer Lynn Marshall, of Butte, was sentenced on Wednesday to eight years in prison for conspiracy and firearms convictions in a methamphetamine trafficking case.
Marshall, 43, pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute meth and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided at the hearing and imposed three years in prison for the drug crime and an additional five years in prison for the firearms violation.
An investigation into meth trafficking found that Marshall sold one ounce of pure meth to a confidential informant in May 2016 and later that month left with an informant to drive to California to buy four pounds of meth. However, Marshall was stopped and arrested in Dillon while traveling to California and was found to have $12,000 and a .380 caliber handgun in her possession.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bartleson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Missouri River Drug Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.
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Vaughn woman sentenced for carjackingRead the Press Release
HELENA—A Vaughn woman who admitted to pulling a gun on a driver, who had given her a ride, and ordering the victim and two others out of the vehicle, was sentenced to 14 years prison on Tuesday in U.S. District Court, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
Senior U.S. District Judge Charles C. Lovell sentenced Sidney Rae Aimsback, 30, to seven years in prison for conviction on carjacking and to seven more years for brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Aimsback pleaded guilty to the two crimes in May.
The investigation determined that on Nov. 28, 2017 in Helena, Aimsback approached three people, borrowed a cell phone and asked for a ride to a restaurant near Interstate 15. The victim drove her Mitsubishi Outlander, while Aimsback sat in the front passenger seat and the victim’s two friends sat in the back seat. Aimsback persuaded the victim to drive to a nearby housing development, saying her sister lived there.
While stopped at an intersection near the housing development, Aimsback pulled out a gun from near her waistband, pointed it at the victim and told her and the two other passengers to get out of the vehicle. The victim and passengers complied. The three ran up to a carpenter at a building site.
Law enforcement officers arrested Aimsback near Three Forks. The victim consented to a search of the vehicle, and officers found a 9 mm pistol and two magazines of ammunition.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bartleson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Lewis and Clark and Gallatin County sheriff’s offices, the Helena Police Department and the Montana Highway Patrol.
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U.S. Attorney's Office hosts roundtable on sexual harassment in housingRead the Press Release
HELENA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division hosted a roundtable today for community organizations to discuss the problem of sexual harassment in housing, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme announced.
The event, held at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, included legal aid offices, fair housing organizations, and shelters and transitional housing providers. Those organizations were invited because they often work with vulnerable populations who are most likely to become victims of sexual harassment in housing.
“Sexual harassment in housing is an egregious violation of a person’s right to fair housing,” U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. “Landlords using the power they have over tenants to extort sexual favors, or even commit assaults, is intolerable. Our office is dedicated to uncovering such violations where they exist and vigorously enforcing the law.”
The Department of Justice, through the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Civil Rights Division, enforces the federal Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by the Act.
In October 2017, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced the Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative, an effort to combat sexual harassment in housing.
On April 12, 2018, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the nationwide expansion of that initiative and the formation of a joint task force with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to address this issue.
The initiative seeks to identify barriers to reporting sexual harassment in housing, increase awareness of the department’s enforcement efforts – both among survivors and those they may report to – and collaborate with federal, state, and local partners to increase reporting and help survivors quickly and easily connect with federal resources.
In the first year of the initiative’s launch, the Justice Department has opened 34 new sexual harassment matters, which is more than any previous year and nearly five times the number of matters opened in the prior year. In addition, the department has filed six lawsuits in alleged sexual harassment in housing cases, which is more than the department has filed in any previous year.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working closely with the Civil Rights Division to spread the word in Montana about options to help victims experiencing sexual harassment or who experienced sexual harassment in housing in the past.
Roundtable discussions like the one that U.S. Attorney Alme hosted today are one way to increase awareness and build strong partnerships in the community to combat this problem together.
Community organizations, such as local law enforcement, legal aid offices, fair housing organizations, shelters, and transitional housing providers, can identify the misconduct and recommend that victims report sexual harassment to the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. In addition, local police departments or legal aid offices may be able to help victims, if the behavior is a crime or if there is an imminent eviction.
While most people are familiar with the problem of sexual harassment in the workplace, harassment also occurs in housing, and the Fair Housing Act prohibits it. The Justice Department brings cases each year involving egregious conduct, including allegations that defendants have exposed themselves sexually to current or prospective tenants, requested sexual favors in exchange for reduced rents or making necessary repairs, made unrelenting and unwanted sexual advances to tenants, and evicted tenants who resisted their sexual overtures.
Many instances of sexual harassment in housing continue to go unreported. The Justice Department’s investigations frequently uncover sexual harassment that has been ongoing for years or decades and identify numerous victims who never reported the conduct to federal authorities.
The Department encourages anyone who has experienced sexual harassment in housing, or knows someone who has, to contact the Civil Rights Division by calling 1 (844) 380-6178 or emailing [email protected]. For more information, visit https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-reports-major-increases-victim-reporting-and-number-lawsuits-filed-one.
Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may also file a complaint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office at United States Attorney’s Office, 2601 Second Avenue N., Suite 3200, Billings, MT 59101 c/o AUSA Brendan McCarthy, or contact AUSA McCarthy by phone – 406-247-4656 or email – [email protected]. Individuals also my contact the FBI.
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The Guardians Project provides grant administration training to Montana communitiesRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the Guardians Project, a task force to fight federal program fraud, is providing grant administration training to Montana’s Native American community and will be in Harlem on Nov. 19.
The Harlem training will start at 10 a.m. in the Planning Department Conference Room. The session is open to the public.
The Guardians Project joins federal agencies together to prosecute those attempting to take federal funds for private gain. The agencies include the U.S. Attorney’s Office, several Offices of Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division.
Since 2013, the project has resulted in more than 100 felony convictions, more than $15 million in restitution, more than $3.5 million in fines and a $1 million civil judgment. Prosecuted crimes include conspiracy, bribery, fraud, embezzlement, extortion, obstruction of justice, money laundering, blackmail, and tax evasion.
The Guardians Project is reaching out to the communities to train individuals working with federal grants and funding. These trainings are presented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Weldon, and Christopher Wood, a special agent with the Department of Interior, Office of Inspector General.
In the past several months, trainings have been provided in Browning, Poplar, Box Elder, Lame Deer, Crow Agency and Harlem.
U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said, “We are committed to ensuring that federal funds are used for their intended purpose for the benefit of all of the intended recipients. However, we want to ensure that those who work with federal grants are trained on how to handle them correctly, and those who discover misuse know how to report such misuse and be protected under whistleblower statutes.”
“When misuses are discovered, they will continue to be investigated by the Guardians Project and prosecuted by our office,” Alme said.
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Blackfeet Nation receives grant to aid tribal, federal prosecutionsRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Blackfeet Nation announced that nearly $500,000 in U.S. Department of Justice funding has been awarded to the tribe, based in Browning, to assist with violent crime prosecutions in tribal court and in U.S. District Court.
The DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded the tribe $499,774 as part of the Tribal Special Assistant United States Attorney Program. The funding will be used to hire a tribal prosecutor, who also will be designated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as a Special Assistant United States Attorney. The prosecutor, who will be required to be a law-trained attorney, will be able to work not only in tribal court but also present major criminal cases in federal court under the direction of U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The grant will assist the Blackfeet tribe’s current prosecution program.
Blackfeet Chairman Timothy F. Davis said, “This opportunity and much needed funding provided through the DOJ provides our Tribal Courts prosecution division with a professionally trained attorney who will assure timely prosecution of violent crime in Tribal Court and assist in bringing serious crimes into federal court. We are grateful for this partnership and look forward to improving public safety for the people of the Blackfeet Nations.”
U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said, “The grant will help the Blackfeet Tribe increase the prosecution of violent offenses in tribal court and assist in bringing serious crimes into federal court. The program will help reduce violent crime, including drug-related activity, and improve public safety. We look forward to continuing to work with the tribal prosecutor’s office to ensure public safety on the reservation.”
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Great Falls man charged in child pornography caseRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS—The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that Lothar Konrad Krauth, 80, of Great Falls, appeared on a criminal complaint before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston on charges of receipt of child pornography.
The complaint alleges the crime occurred from about Oct. 26, 2017 to Oct. 26, 2018 in Cascade County.
The complaint is merely an accusation and Krauth is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
If indicted and convicted of the charge in the complaint, Krauth faces a minimum mandatory five years to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release.
Johnston ordered Krauth detained pending a detention hearing set for Nov. 14.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. PACER Case Reference. MJ 18-76-GF-JTJ
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Baker man and trucking company ordered to pay $1.29 million, face prison for fraud and violating laws regulating transporting hazardous materialsRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced today that Donald E. Wood, Jr., of Baker, and his trucking company, Woody’s Trucking LLC, were sentenced in U.S. District Court for convictions on multiple charges stemming from a 2012 explosion at an oil and gas processing facility in Wibaux, Montana.
U.S. District Judge Susan Watters sentenced Wood, 57, to 12 months and one day in prison and three years of supervised release. Watters sentenced Woody’s Trucking to four years of probation.
Watters also ordered forfeiture of a personal money judgment of $644,689.70 and ordered restitution of $644,689.70. The monetary penalties total $1,289,370.40 to be paid by Wood and Woody’s Trucking.
A federal jury convicted Wood and his company on 13 of 14 counts after an eight day trial in May. Both defendants were convicted of conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud, obstruction of justice and hazardous materials shipping paper and placarding violations. The one count of acquittal related to a placarding violation.
In a sentencing memo, Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Dake said the case was about Wood “engaging in deceitful, fraudulent and dangerous conduct, manipulating his otherwise legitimate business practices, in order to line his own pockets.”
The case arose after a December 29, 2012 explosion at Custom Carbon Processing, Inc.’s facility in Wibaux, in which three employees were seriously injured. A driver for Woody’s Trucking had loaded natural gas condensate, or “drip gas,” from a pipeline station in Watford City, N.D., and hauled it to Custom Carbon Processing, a facility that processes and recycles slop oil.
Previous bills of lading that accompanied Woody’s shipments falsely identified the product as “slop oil and water,” which is a non-hazardous substance. On the date of the explosion, the driver was pumping from the truck’s front tank into the CCP facility, when flammable vapors from the drip gas ignited and caused an explosion, injuring three employees. The tanks on the truck burned for eight days. It was determined later that the truck contained drip gas and not slop oil and water. Drip gas is a hazardous material and the truck was not placarded to indicate it held a flammable liquid.
Witnesses at trial testified that Wood, the CEO of the trucking company, directed the driver to place a falsified bill of lading in the burned out truck several days after the explosion. The reason was to cover up the fact that the company was hauling drip gas without placards. The false bill of lading also was submitted to the company’s insurance company and to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In addition, the company had no insurance coverage for hauling drip gas.
Later, employees of the burned facility sued Woody’s Trucking, the owners of the CCP facility and others for negligence in a civil action. Woody’s submitted the lawsuit to its insurance company for payment of costs, attorney fees and payment of the eventual settlements to the injured workers. The insurance company agreed to settle the claims, but always maintained that Woody’s Trucking failed to disclose that it was transporting hazardous materials.
The insurance company made coverage related payments after the explosion on behalf of Woody’s Trucking. The company paid $644,689.70 for costs and fees associated with the explosion.
U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said, “The defendants in this case cut corners to get ahead, and in doing so, endangered lives. For the safety of our citizens, this conduct cannot be permitted. I want to thank the prosecution team and the representatives from the Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Labor that coordinated on this important investigation.”
“We believe today’s sentencing sends a strong message to those responsible for properly handling and transporting hazardous material,” said Jeffrey Dubsick, Regional Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. “Working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we will continue our vigorous efforts to protect against those who would risk the safety of the public and the environment for personal gain.”
Susan Bodine, assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, said, “The defendants in this case not only violated federal transportation regulations, but also tried to cover up their actions by providing first responders with falsified documents. Companies managing hazardous chemicals should take notice that EPA and our law enforcement partners will enforce laws designed to protect our communities and the environment from chemical accidents.”
Rita Lucero, regional administrator for OSHA’s Region VIII, said, “OSHA is very appreciative of the prosecution brought by the U.S. Attorney’s office in this case. OSHA, the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency will continue working together to bring employers to justice when they jeopardize the health and safety of their employees.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Dake represented the U.S. Attorney’s Office at sentencing. Assistant U. S. Attorney Adam Duerk and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Nelson of the EPA tried the case.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General and the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
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Washington man sentenced to 10 years in prison for heroin possessionRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – Washington resident Christopher Craig Johnson, 36, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and three years of supervised release today for his conviction of possessing heroin for distribution.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided at the hearing.
Johnson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin.
Law enforcement officers arrested Johnson after a car crash in July 2015 in Great Falls in which Johnson and another person fled the scene. A passenger at the scene told officers that the vehicle belonged to Johnson, that he had brought methamphetamine and heroin from Washington on the trip and had the drugs when they arrived in Great Falls. Johnson had sold some of the meth in town and had planned to go to Browning to distribute drugs but got into the crash.
Further investigation led to Johnson’s arrest. A search warrant led to the seizure of meth and a small amount of heroin from his Great Falls residence. Law enforcement officers then executed a search warrant on Johnson’s wrecked vehicle and seized heroin. A Drug Enforcement Administration lab determined the drugs seized totaled 82.8 grams of pure meth and 18.17 grams of heroin.
In a sentencing memo, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley said Johnson was a serious danger to the community and that he had at least 10 prior felony convictions, including holding up individuals at gunpoint during a robbery and drug distribution and possession offenses.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Russell Country Drug Task Force.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement to identify those responsible for significant violent crime in Montana. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a recently reinvigorated Department of Justice program that has proven to be successful in reducing violent crime. Today’s sentencing is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program.
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Poplar couple sentenced in assault for driving vehicle into group of pedestriansRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS—A Poplar couple who admitted assault charges for driving a vehicle into a group of pedestrians, seriously injuring one, in a drug debt dispute were sentenced to years in federal prison this week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris sentenced Ashley Nicole Vondall, 26, on Wednesday to 40 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Morris sentenced co-defendant Jonathan Damstrom Cantrell, 33, on Thursday to 38 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
Vondall and Cantrell each pleaded guilty in July to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley said in court records that the assault occurred on Oct. 24, 2017 as Cantrell and his girlfriend, Vondall, were drinking and driving around Poplar, on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Cantrell was driving a Jeep, while Vondall sat in the front passenger seat. Vondall told investigators she had consumed 14 to 16 cans of Mike’s Harder Lemonade that day.
Vondall had previously been in a dispute regarding a $100 drug debt for methamphetamine with one of the pedestrians in the group.
While driving around Poplar, Cantrell and Vondall saw a group of five people walking down the street, including the person involved in the drug debt dispute. Cantrell stopped the Jeep, Vondall got out and then engaged in a fight with the group. Vondall got back into the Jeep and Cantrell turned the vehicle around.
Witness interviews revealed that Vondall yelled, “Hit them bitches!” and Cantrell plowed through the group with Jeep. A video recording from a nearby surveillance camera showed the Jeep drove straight at the group. Upon impact, bodies flew into the air before hitting the ground. One victim remained motionless in the street. The Jeep flipped onto its top, and Vondall and Cantrell took off running.
The victim was taken by ambulance to the local hospital and then flown to Billings for further treatment. The victim suffered a head injury, collapsed lung and multiple other injuries and fractures.
Two others in the group were treated for injuries at the hospital and released.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Fort Peck Criminal Investigations.
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Judge sentences Great Falls man in counterfeiting schemeRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS—Great Falls resident Martin Phillip Rose, who was convicted in a counterfeiting scheme, was sentenced on Thursday to 14 months in prison and three years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided at the hearing.
Rose, 44, pleaded guilty in July to aiding and abetting counterfeiting obligations or securities of the United States.
The investigation began in 2017 when a significant amount of counterfeit money began circulating through out Great Falls. In July 2017, Rose passed a fake $50 bill at a local business and was arrested. Following Rose’s arrest, investigators continued receiving information that Rose was making counterfeit $50 bills by taking legitimate $10 bills, washing them with chemicals and re-printing them as $50 bills.
Rose acknowledged to investigators he had run short on money and started making counterfeit bills.
Investigators identified 51 victims of Rose’s counterfeit scheme.
In a sentencing memo, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley said Rose was sentenced in 2012 in federal court in Montana on a previous counterfeiting crime.
Betley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Great Falls Police Department.
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Nurse sentenced for taking fentanyl for personal useRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – The U.S. Attorney’s office announced today that on Nov. 2, Donald Friedlich Mills, III, a nurse who admitted stealing fentanyl, a highly addictive and dangerous synthetic opioid pain reliever, for his own use, was sentenced to a five-year term of probation with six months in home confinement.
U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided at the hearing.
Mills, 33, of Billings, pleaded guilty on May 22 to tampering with consumer products and to acquiring fentanyl by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery and deception. There was no plea agreement.
The investigation began on March 21, 2017, when the Billings Clinic, where Mills worked, notified the federal Drug Enforcement Administration that it had lost 200 mL of fentanyl from employee pilferage. In a recorded interview with DEA on March 28, 2017, Mills, after being advised of his rights, said he had neck pain and anxiety and thought he could self-medicate through injections.
Mill told law enforcement officers he started taking fentanyl and replacing it with saline beginning in February 2017 and ending on March 13, 2017, when he was confronted about discrepancies.
Mills further told officers that he would divert fentanyl most times that he worked, remove the fentanyl from the vials and replace it with saline. He said that if the case was his, he made sure the patients got a full vial along with whatever he had switched.
DEA took into evidence suspected tampered vials of fentanyl, syringes and vials labeled as saline. The evidence included 22 packages of fentanyl suspected of having been tampered. A DEA lab tested 15 of the packages and found that no fentanyl remained inside them.
In a sentencing memo, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Godfrey said Mills could have taken the fentanyl without replacing it with saline but that would have led to the tampering being discovered sooner. “The defendant chose to be deceptive and replace the fentanyl with saline water in order to continue to have access to the drug, knowing the risk it would pose to patients,” Godfrey said.
AUSA Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the DEA.
U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said, “This is a serious crime. By replacing fentanyl with saline, Mills put patients at risk of not having their severe pain properly treated. In addition, diverting fentanyl from its intended use can have lethal consequences to a community. Thankfully, that did not occur in this case. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorney Godfrey, the DEA and the Food and Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigations, for their successful investigation and prosecution of the case, after being alerted to the theft of fentanyl by Billings Clinic.”
“Patients deserve to have confidence that they are receiving the proper treatment from those entrusted with providing their medical care,” said Lisa
L. Malinowski, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations’ Los Angeles Field Office. “We must hold medical personnel accountable when they take advantage of their unique position and tamper with drugs needed by their patients, especially when such tampering causes unnecessary pain and suffering.”
DEA Resident Agent-in-Charge Stacy Zinn-Brittain stated, “DEA is committed to working this type of investigation to keep patients safe during medical procedures. We appreciated Billings Clinic’s cooperation in working with DEA on this investigation.”
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Department of Justice and Department of Interior team up for major expansion of tribal access to national crime information databasesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON— The Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior announced a dramatic expansion of a key program that provides tribes with access to national crime information databases.
The Blackfeet Indian Nation, based in Browning, is among 25 tribes that will be new to the Justice Department’s Tribal Access Program for National Crime Information (TAP). The program not only provides access to national criminal databases but also enables tribes to enter and track information about missing persons.
Montana U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said, “We are pleased that the Blackfeet Nation has been selected for expansion of the Tribal Access Program. The program will allow the Blackfeet Tribal Police and other tribal departments to enter information about missing persons into the national missing persons database, enter updates about each person and learn of updates from law enforcement across the country.”
“This will be a big step toward ensuring that missing persons, particularly Blackfeet women and children, are found, and that the Tribe has the most up to date information about missing members,” said Alme, who also is vice chair of the Attorney General’s Native American Issues Subcommittee.
Blackfeet Chairman Tim Davis said, “Having real time access to the TAP program and criminal information readily available to tribal law enforcement agencies provides the assurance that our residents are better served and protected. Indian communities who have sadly experienced so many injustices for so long are now being afforded justice on a more timely and effective scale.”
The Blackfeet tribe will be Montana’s second tribe to join the TAP program. The Fort Peck Tribes of the Fort Peck Reservation, based in Poplar, currently participate in the program.
By the end of 2019, the Justice Department will expand the number of TAP participating tribes by more than 50 percent—from 47 tribes to 72 tribes.
TAP allows tribes access to information in several national databases through the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Systems network, including the National Crime Information Center and other databases.
TAP enhances tribal efforts to register sex offenders pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act; have access to orders of protection enforced nationwide; protect children; keep firearms away from prohibited persons; improve the safety of public housing; and allow tribes to enter their arrests and convictions into national databases.
The program also provides tribes the ability to access and exchange data with national crime information databases for both criminal and civil purposes.
The Department of the Interior (DOI) will fund the instillation of TAP Kiosks at three locations where the BIA-Office of Indian Services (BIA-OIS) deliver direct social services by the end of 2019. The Interior Department aims to expand TAP access at all 28 BIA-Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS) operated law enforcement agencies and detention service centers. These BIA locations will provide some degree of access to TAP for services delivered to more than 50 tribal communities that currently do not have any direct access.
“Access to information is vital to effective law enforcement,” said Trent Shores, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma and the Chairman of the Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee on Native American Issues. “The Tribal Access Program will enhance and improve the ability of tribal law enforcement officers to serve their communities.”
The Native American Issues Subcommittee (NAIS) is comprised of United States Attorneys with Indian Country in their federal districts. They advise the Attorney General regarding the development and implementation of policies pertaining to justice in Indian Country. The NAIS identified ‘increased law enforcement resources’ as one of four priority areas to improve justice services in Indian Country. Support for and increased dissemination of the TAP was unanimously supported by the US Attorneys at a recent NAIS meeting in Indian Country in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
For more information on TAP, visit: www.justice.gov/tribal/tribal-access-program-tap
For more information about the Justice Department’s work on tribal justice and public safety issues, visit: www.justice.gov/tribal
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