GREAT FALLS – A Great Falls man has been sentenced for his involvement in a shooting in June 2016.

Tyler Christianson was sentenced to 10 years with seven suspended for one count of criminal endangerment and five years with two suspended for one count of tampering or fabricating physical evidence.

The sentences will run consecutively.

Christianson was originally charged with Jordan Thompson and John Charles McKinnis for an incident that occurred on June 11, 2016.

Great Falls police officers had responded to reports of gunshots and a vandalized vehicle near 4200 Central Avenue.

The officers found a white Jeep Cherokee with more than a dozen bullet holes on the driver’s side. The front and rear driver’s-side tires had also been shot.

Court documents state that officers also found eleven .40 caliber shell casings; seven .45 caliber shell casings; two small shotgun wads; and one .40 caliber fired cartridge case. They counted 23 bullet holes in the vehicle.

There were eight people inside the four-plex apartment where the Jeep was parked.

Court documents state that all of those people were placed at “risk of death or serious bodily injury” as a result of the shooting directed at the Jeep.

Court documents alleged that McKinnis, Thompson, and Christianson were associated with the Amigos motorcycle gang, which is described as a “support club” of the Bandidos motorcycle gang.

All other charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

Previous: 3 people with alleged gang ties charged with shooting Jeep in Great Falls

BILLINGS – The man shot by Billings police outside the Lazy KT Motel in October has been identified in revocation documents filed in Yellowstone County District Court.

Roderick Lee Little Bear, 36, had just been discharged from his suspended sentence for felony assault with a weapon one month before he was shot by police in October.

The revocation documents do not provide many details, but they do state that Billings police made contact with Little Bear outside the motel while he was holding a shotgun on Oct. 18.

Officers had been called to the Lazy KT Motel for a report of an armed man walking around the parking lot.

When officers later made contact with Little Bear, they ordered him to drop his weapon.

Little Bear did not comply, according to police, and swung his weapon in the direction of officers before they fired on him.

Little Bear survived the shooting but was hospitalized. It’s unclear if Little Bear has fully recovered from his injuries.

For violating the terms of his release, Little Bear was sentenced in January to three years at the Montana Department of Corrections for possessing a shotgun outside the Lazy KT Motel, which is a violation of his release conditions.

The probationer wrote in the petition that Little Bear had been doing well on supervision for a couple of months after his release from a Billings Pre-release center.

“Once (Little Bear) lost his job and stop attending his White Eagle Talking Circle meetings things started to take a turn for the worse,” said the probationer.

Little Bear began using methamphetamine and alcohol, according to his probation officer.

The Department of Corrections offender network lists Little Bear as an inmate at the Montana State Prison.

It’s unclear if new charges will be filed against Little Bear for the incident at Lazy KT Motel.

Reporting by Aja Goare for MTN News

BILLINGS – A convicted Pryor child molester has been ordered to a lifetime of supervised release for sexually abusing two young girls.

Raymond Wallace Roubideaux, 66, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Billings Wednesday to time served and supervised release.

Roubideaux pleaded guilty in October to abusive sexual contact with a minor, who was under the age of 16, and abusive sexual contact with a child, who was under the age of 12.

Roubideaux had already been sentenced to prison for molesting a 10-year-old child when information about the two additional victims emerged.

Prosecutors addressed in their sentencing memorandum Roubideaux’s extensive history of mental health disorders and substance abuse.

Though prosecutors described Roubideaux as a danger to the community, they said the order for supervised release would allow the court to impose treatment orders while keeping a close watch on Roubideaux.

Reporting by Aja Goare for MTN News

The United States Attorney’s Office announced on Wednesday that U.S. District Judge Brian Morris sentenced Kathy Ann Sutherland of Box Elder to 12 months and 1 day of imprisonment and two years of supervised release for the crime of wire fraud.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office released the following information about the case:

Sutherland must also pay $111,902.50 in restitution.

Sutherland began working as the Cash & Grants Manager for the Rocky Boy Health Clinic of the Chippewa Cree Tribe in Box Elder.

Ultimately, Sutherland became the interim Chief Financial Officer for the Health Clinic. In Sutherland’s roles at the Health Clinic, one of her duties included administering the employee loan programs. For example, Sutherland issued loan checks to Rocky Boy Health Board employees, including issuing loan checks to herself.

Before a loan check could be disbursed, the applicant was required to fill out a loan application and submit it to the loan committee for approval. New loans were not to be issued if an individual owed over $800 to the loan program.

Sutherland used her position to circumvent this process and take out over $111,902.50 in loans—far in excess of the $800 limit. Even assuming Sutherland continued to pay back the loans through payroll deductions, (which she ceased doing) Sutherland would have to work until she was at least 81 years old, assuming no interest accrued.

In a sentencing memo filed in federal court, prosecutor Ryan Weldon wrote, “Sutherland’s actions are particularly problematic when she knew about other prosecutions, and she was serving as the interim chief financial officer during some of her embezzlement. Her actions were calculated and without regard for the law.”

The sentencing recommendation includes the following:
Sutherland worked for the Rocky Boy Health Clinic of the Chippewa Cree Tribe.
PSR 11. From 2005 until 2015, Sutherland used and abused her position to take out loans and accumulate a loan debt of $111,902.50.
PSR 13. The policy did not allow new loans if an individual owed over $800.
PSR 12. Sutherland far exceeded that limit.
PSR 13. Sutherland’s actions are particularly problematic when she knew about other prosecutions, and she was serving as the interim chief financial officer during some of her embezzlement. Her actions were calculated and without regard for the law.

More importantly, Sutherland’s case must be considered in light of other sentences given to other employees of the Rocky Boy Health Clinic. For example, the Court previously sentenced Theodora Ann Morsette to 12 months and one day of imprisonment.

See, e.g., United States v. Theodora Ann Morsette, CR-14-99-GF-BMM. Ms. Morsette was ordered to pay $96,948.35, which was less than what Ms. Sutherland embezzled. Fawn Tadios was also the chief executive officer of the Rocky Boy Health Clinic.

She embezzled $15,000, and the Court gave her the same sentence as Morsette. United States v. Fawn Patricia Ann Tadios, CR-13-51-GF-BMM. Even Wilford Harlan “Huck” Sunchild, the Director of the Wellness Center, went to prison for 12 months and one day for embezzling $19,735.77.

United States v. Wilford Harlan “Huck” Sunchild, CR-13-106-GF-BMM. The Court cannot afford to give disparate sentences compared to previously sentenced defendants who embezzled less money.

Given the above, the United States recommends a guideline sentence, with supervised release to follow. Restitution must be paid in the amount of $111,902.50.

This case is the latest in a series of prosecutions and convictions relating to public corruption, fraud, and theft in federal grants, contracts, and programs brought by the investigators and prosecutors of the U.S. Attorney’s Guardians Project, an anti-corruption strike force created in 2011.

MISSOULA – A Missoula man will spend five years in the Department of Corrections for sexually assaulting a 9-year-old boy.

“I admit it, I admit it, yes” said Joshua Moody at his sentencing hearing.

Moody was charged with sexually assaulting a child repeatedly over a nine-month span back in December 2016.

The assaults were discovered when the 9-year-old boy told his parents of being touched inappropriately over his clothes.

Moody was living at the victim’s home at the time of the assault.

On Wednesday, Missoula District Court Judge Robert Dechamps sentenced Moody to 50 years with 45 of those years suspended in the Department of Corrections.

Moody will not be eligible for parole or any community placement treatment until he completes phase 1 of the sex offender treatment program. He will also be registered as a level 2 sex offender.

Reporting by Connor McCauley for MTN News

BILLINGS – In recent years, debate has emerged about whether law enforcement across the county and at home is too quick to shoot at suspects.

Since 2012, 37 officer-involved shootings have been reported in Montana, according to the Montana Department of Justice. Four happened in Billings last year. Officers in two of the shootings have been ruled justified in their use of deadly force, while two others remain under investigation.

Billings Police Chief Rich St. John said dangerous drugs and defiance against authority often create situations where officers are forced to fire.

“You have to understand that law enforcement officers are interjected into some very, very serious and dangerous situations,” said St. John. “And in that split second, they’re making a decision whether to use deadly force.”

Add in alcohol, paranoia from drug use, and armed suspects, and St. John said the situations escalate.

“You have a culture of anti-law enforcement sentiment. Specifically, anti-authority. And people just won’t listen or do what police officers order them to do,” he said.

Billings Police Sgt. and fire arms instructor Justin Jagers said training is important for law enforcement because they must react so quickly.

“The fundamentals of what they’re doing with that firearm has got to be a reflex,” he said.

Officers are often forced to enter volatile situations with little information, and their ultimate goal is to stop the threat with the least amount of force, Jagers said.

He added that the job is all about decision-making, and that’s why officers are taught that distance means time.

“If I can get a second, that’s better than a half second. If I can get three seconds, I can make a better more informed decision about what’s going on. Now I have three seconds to realize, ‘That is not a gun. That’s a cell phone, and I’m not going to use deadly force,'” he said.

An officer-involved shooting fatality is no badge of honor, according to one Billings officer who has shot and killed an armed suspect. He asked to remain anonymous.

“All that training comes down in one second. I see his arm start to come up. I see my sights and his shirt, and then it just sounded like a roar… You don’t want it to end that way,” he said.

A shooting can cost officers their careers, St. John said. There’s both criminal and civil lawsuits, and St. John said his officers will face public scrutiny.

“It is absolutely a traumatic event for these officers. They are victims of violent crime. Somebody has threatened their well-being and their life and caused them to use deadly force to protect themselves,” said St. John.

Two questions always emerge after an officer-involved shooting, St. John said. First, why didn’t officers just wound the suspect? And second, why so many shots?

The chief and Jagers said officers are not trained to wound. That’s because many times when people are shot, they can still function. If the suspect has a gun, that means he or she can still harm or kill the officer or someone else.

And that answer ties in with the second question. St. John said officers must do what’s required to stop the threat, which often means firing multiple shots.

If there’s one thing St. John could stress to the public in volatile situations, it’s to do what an officer says.

“By all means, do what the officer says. If we are wrong, then file a complaint or file a lawsuit. But do not disobey a lawful order from a police officer. And then, do not compound that by making… actions that suggest that you have a weapon or that you may be taking some sort of aggressive action,” St. John said.

Reporting by Jeanelle Slade for MTN News

GREAT FALLS – Vallarie Quinonez pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges of felony aggravated burglary and misdemeanor assault.

In January, Great Falls police responded to a call for a general disturbance.

When officers arrived, a victim approached them with injuries to her face and was bleeding.

Quinonez confirmed that she and several other people had broken into the victim’s home and assaulted her.

She told police the incident was planned and was for revenge on an earlier incident.

Dani Jo Lee Burshia also pleaded not guilty in the same incident.

(JANUARY 21, 2018) A woman was assaulted Sunday morning after several people broke into her home.

According to the Great Falls Police Department, officers responded to the 1800 block of 6th Avenue North for a general disturbance.

The victim told police that several people had broken into her home and kicked and punched her.

While at the residence, officers were notified of another woman at the Great Falls Clinic with injuries.

She was later identified as 21-year-old Vallarie Quinonez.

According to police, Quinonez confirmed that she and several other people had broken into the victim’s home and assaulted her.

She stated the incident was planned and was for revenge on an earlier incident.

Quinonez was charged with felony aggravated burglary and misdemeanor assault.

She said there were two cars that drove to the victim’s home for the incident. Police located the cars and made two more arrests.

The driver was identified as 30-year-old Scott Nickel and he was charged with accountability to aggravated burglary and accountability to assault.

Another suspect in the vehicle was identified as 20-year-old Dani Jo Lee Burshia, who was charged with felony aggravated burglary and misdemeanor assault.

Reporting by Margaret DeMarco for MTN News

GREAT FALLS – Debra Kay Thomas, charged in Great Falls with forgery and theft of identity, pleaded not guilty on Thursday.

Her trial has been scheduled for June 14th.

Court documents state that in July 2016, Thomas talked with the victim – identified in court documents as Jane Doe – about obtaining a $3,500 loan to assist Thomas in buying a home. Doe issued a check on a credit card account for $3,500, and Thomas was supposed to repay her.

Shortly after the loan was made, Thomas suggested to Doe that she (Thomas) just make the payments directly to the credit card company; Doe agreed. Thomas then asked for and obtained all of Doe’s personal and account information.

Court documents state: “Doe, who has been friends with Thomas for 30 years, did not question Thomas when she requested her personal information.” Doe believe that Thomas needed the information in order to make the credit card payments, and assumed that Thomas was making the payments toward the $3,500 loan.

As time went on, Doe stopped receiving the credit card statements at her home, and in October 2016, Doe contacted the credit card company and found out that Thomas had charged thousands of dollars under a credit card that she (Thomas) had obtained from the company. The company told Doe that there were “many more charges” on the account in excess of the initial $3,500 loan.

Doe tried to contact Thomas to find out what was happening, but Thomas did not respond. Doe then contacted law enforcement officers, who obtained records from the accounts and a statement from Doe about the situation. Doe told police that at no time had she authorized Thomas to put her own name of Doe’s account. Doe also told police that she no longer works, has medical issues, and is currently in serious financial hardship as she is responsible for paying on the account.

A Great Falls police officer contacted Thomas, who said that she was an authorized user on the account, and claimed that Doe had given her permission to add herself to the account, and that there had been no agreement on the repayment of the account. Thomas claimed that she was authorized, and in an email said that she never had the statement mailed directly to her.

However, the GFPD officer had documentation that Thomas did change the mailing address directly from the credit card company.

Court documents state that in December 2016, shortly after the statements were switched to Thomas’ address, Thomas stopped making any payments on the account.

Thomas continued to make charges on the account, and as of January 2017, the balance was more than $8,265.

The court documents state: “Thomas ceased making any payments on the account and Doe is now faced with paying the account after Thomas falsely assumed her identity to add her name to the account, obtained a credit card in her name, and changed the mailing address to her residence in Great Falls. Doe attempted to contact Thomas about this and has been blocked on all efforts to make contact.”

Great Falls Public Schools superintendent Tammy Lacey released the following information:

On Thursday, February 1, in the late afternoon, Great Falls Public Schools was notified that a Whitter Elementary School teacher was arrested by the Great Falls Police Department and charged with forgery and theft of identity. The District immediately put the teacher on administrative leave.

Today, Friday, February 2, the District’s Human Resource Department began its own internal investigation into this matter. The District will work to investigate and resolve the matter as quickly as possible while following due process legal requirements. The teacher will remain on leave until the investigation is concluded and appropriate action is determined.

If true, these charges are very concerning and certainly do not represent the conduct expected of any GFPS employee. The District will continue its efforts to impart to its employees the high ethical standards that are expected of them.

Reporting by Margaret DeMarco for MTN News

MISSOULA – A Texas man has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison on drug charges.

Bryan Tate Dollar, 37, of Haslet, Texas, was sentenced last week in Missoula after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Prosecutors say that between March and December of 2016, Dollar brought methamphetamine from Las Vegas and distributed it in the Billings and Missoula areas.

Law enforcement recovered more than 250 grams of pure methamphetamine and a firearm from Dollar who later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute meth.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Elliott and investigated by FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force.

GREAT FALLS – Jonathan Paul Schulz, a 48-year-old resident of Conrad, was sentenced in federal court in Great Falls on Tuesday to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Brian Morris.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a press release that investigators learned about Schulz’s possible illegal possession of firearms because of posts to his Facebook account.

Schulz had made comments such as “i am a convicted fellon as well however the Constitution says nothing about it some of the later laws that water down our rights deal with that, so in my opionion **** the law that says we cant arm ourselvs. I stand with the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Indipendance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want to look em in the eyes as thay take their last breath.”

In later postings, Schulz bragged that he had thousands of rounds of ammunition and mortar with hundreds of rounds hidden in an “outpost.”

Additionally, Schulz posted photographs of himself with several rifles and a Judge pistol. Referring the Judge, Schulz stated, it was “one of two new additions to my arsenal” and that “this one goes everywhere I do.”

In later posts, Schulz talked about how it was time to start killing cops.

On August 4, 2016, FBI agents executed a federal search warrant at Schulz’s residence. During the search, agents found a Smith & Wesson, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol. The pistol was located on top of the kitchen cabinets. The firearm was loaded including one round in the chamber. It was later learned that Schulz had stolen the firearm from his father-in-law.

During the search, agents also found various caliber ammunition in the garage.

Because Schulz had a felony conviction from the State of Texas, he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

A Fairfield man was arrested on Friday, February 16 after officials found evidence of drugs and what was suspected to be an explosive device in his home.

According to the Fairfield Sun Times, the Teton County Sheriff’s Office secured and closed off the 200 block of 3rd Street North in Fairfield.

Fairfield School went into lockdown and families were advised to remain in their homes due to concerns over an explosive device.

Teton County Sheriff Keith Van Setten said the events were the result of a request by Conrad-based Montana Department of Corrections Probation and Parole Officer Cody Shaw.

The Fairfield Sun Times article states that Shaw had received a tip that Steven Johnson, the resident of 212 3rd Street North, was in possession of dangerous drugs and was violating his parole.

After securing Johnson’s home and obtaining a search warrant, officers found evidence of drugs, believed to be methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, a firearm, and what officers suspected to be an explosive device.

The ATF (Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms) office in Helena was alerted. ATF suggested officers contact Malmstrom Air Force Base to assist in removing the device.

According to Van Setten, the device is reported to be a “mine slurry” or type of explosive charge used in the mining industry.

Van Setten said there is a variety of explosives identified as mine slurries and officers didn’t know whether the device, if set off, was capable of “destroying two or three rooms in the home or two or three homes.”

Van Setten told the Fairfield Sun Times that the explosive was about one inch in diameter and 12 to 14 inches long.

ATF arrived on scene later and took possession of the device.

According to the sheriff, Johnson had been released from prison in November.

He was to be formally charged on Tuesday for possession of dangerous drugs, drug paraphernalia, felon in possession of a firearm, and the explosive device.

Johnson’s girlfriend, Jessica Jensen, will be charged with possession of a dangerous drug and intent to distribute.

BILLINGS – A Billings man with a prior conviction dealing methamphetamine admitted Tuesday that he intended to sell about 33 grams of pure meth.

Sean Gilmore, 47, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Billings to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Gilmore was sentenced in 2003 to over 12 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

In April 2016, not long after his release from prison, Gilmore possessed methamphetamine that he intended to sell in Billings.

Federal agents conducted four controlled purchases of the drug from Gilmore in January 2017.

A confidential informant made four separate purchases from Gilmore.

The FBI raided Gilmore’s shop in February 2017 and found over 3.6 grams of pure meth, meth paraphernalia and two firearms.

After the search warrant was executed at Gilmore’s shop, a witness came forward and connected Gilmore to Raymond Tetzlaff and Crystal-Busby Tetzlaff.

The Teztlaff couple was charged with possession of methamphetamine after authorities found 2 pounds of meth, several firearms, plastic baggies and scales at their home.

Sentencing for the Tetzlaffs is set for Friday.

BUTTE – A woman in Butte faces a felony assault charge after she stabbed a security guard at the local hospital.

Linda Berger, 50, reportedly became erratic while being treated at St. James Healthcare on Sunday night, when she grabbed a pair of scissors from a counter in the hospital.

As a security guard restrained her from behind, Berger allegedly stabbed him in the arm with the scissors before she was subdued by staff.

The guard was treated for the non-life threatening wound.

Berger remains jailed at this time.

Reporting by John Emeigh for MTN News

BILLINGS – An evidence technician for the Billings Police Department has been fired after she admitted stealing close to 1,000 pills collected as evidence in 138 cases, according to Chief Rich St. John on Tuesday.

Raylyn Strizich, 38, admitted to the theft days before a scheduled audit in January and was fired on Feb. 6.

According to St. John, Strizich searched the database for cases involving Oxycodone or similar opioids and would then locate the evidence and remove the pills.

St. John said she would “either reseal the package or simply shred it.”

Though Strizich sometimes stole the pills overtly, her actions did not raise red flags because part of her duties involve handling the pills and bagging them, according to BPD Captain Kevin Iffland.

“This was done despite security cameras and other staff in the building,” said St. John. “Most times, her actions were covert but the investigation shows other instances where there was complete disregard of being discovered.”

Strizich worked as a police clerk from 2013 to 2016 prior to working at the evidence facility.

The 138 cases involve 134 suspects or defendants, who cases will be impacted in different degrees.

Yellowstone County Attorney Scott Twito confirmed Tuesday that about 40 cases would be dismissed as a direct result of the evidence Strizich allegedly tampered with.

“There are other drugs missing and a small amount of cash. However we have not made a connection,” said St. John.

Police do not believe the drugs were sold or traded.

St. John defended the rest of the staff at the evidence facility, saying Strizich’s actions do not reflect the professional conduct exhibited by the staff.

Billings police are reviewing police, procedures, and processes.

St. John said the chain of evidence is critical to prosecution, and his department is working to improve that element.

The evidence lab, which employed just three technicians, currently contains 60,000 pieces of evidence.

St. John said one of the ways to improve the security of evidence is that his department needs to get rid of some of the inventory.

Reporting by Aja Goare for MTN News

HELENA – A defendant with an extensive criminal record and a reputation for courtroom outbursts seemed to be a different person Tuesday.

Leslie Mabrey was charged with violating a Helena District Court suspended sentence after he was arrested in Idaho in 2017 for allegedly threatening a store clerk with a gun, demanding a ride to Canada.

He was also charged with failing to register as a violent offender.

Tuesday in court his defense lawyers told Judge Mike Menahan that treatments for Hepatitus-C at the Lewis and Clark County jail have changed Mabrey’s behavior.

According to medical experts, a buildup of ammonia in the liver can cause an individual to have delusions. Mabrey’s defense lawyers argued to the court that Mabrey’s past anti-social and paranoid behavior were due to his previously undiagnosed medical condition.

In previous court appearances over the years, Mabrey was known for his loud and lengthy diatribes.

Lewis and Clark jail officials told the court following his treatments this summer, Mabrey’s behavior has changed for the better.

The now soft-spoken Mabrey apologized to Judge Menahan for his past behavior. He told the judge he wanted to follow the rules of probation and parole and return to his home in North Carolina, where he can die. Mabrey says he suffers from terminal liver disease.

Prosecutor Ann Penner asked the Judge for a Department of Corrections commitment, saying otherwise, quote, “We’ll all be back here in 60-days.”

Judge Menahan noted Mabrey’s change in demeanor, saying there’s a cause and effect regarding his medical treatments.

Judge Menahan gave Mabrey suspended sentences on a petition to revoke a 2014 case for threatening public officials and his 2017 case for failure to register as a violent offender.

Mabrey was given 359-days credit for time served.

Mabrey said he’ll petition to serve out his sentence in North Carolina.

Previous:
Man who threatened lives of two Helena cops back in jail
Man lashes out at prosecutor during courtroom outburst
Mabrey makes waves at initial court appearance for allegedly threatening police officers

HELENA – A Helena suspect is accused of threatening to kill a Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Deputy and the Deputies’ children.

Tammy Jo Menicucci was arrested last Friday following a disturbance on the 2800 block of Fisher Lane, charged with Assault on a Peace Officer and Threatening an Official, both felonies.

Menicucci is accused of calling 911 several times over the course of two days, using foul language and then hanging up the phone.

On Friday the 16-th, residents at a Fisher Lane residence called 911 to say Meniccuci was allegedly being disruptive, breaking windows and other items.

When she was arrested, the 45-year old allegedly refused to cooperate with deputies, kicking one deputy in the knee.

While being transported to jail, Menicucci allegedly kicked the cage in the back of a deputy’s patrol vehicle numerous times and allegedly threatened to kill the deputy and the deputy’s children.

Bond in the case has been set at $10,000.00.

BILLINGS – A Billings man may earn his 10th drunken-driving conviction after a sheriff’s deputy found him passed out behind the wheel with an open beer bottle in his hand on Saturday.

William Sweet, 57, made his initial appearance in Yellowstone County Justice Court Tuesday on one count each of driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a suspended or revoked license.

Dispatch received a report of a potentially drunken driver in the area of Old Hardin Road around 1 a.m. Saturday.

The deputy found a Pontiac idling in the parking lot of Diesel Extreme.

A man, later identified as Sweet, was found passed out at the wheel with an open beer bottle in his hand.

The vehicle was still in drive but not moving due to the snow and ice, according to court documents.

The deputy butted the front end of his patrol vehicle up to the Pontiac and turned on his headlights, but Sweet did not wake up.

The deputy knocked on the window but it had no effect, so he opened the door and gave Sweet a sternum rub.

Sweet smelled of alcohol and his eyes were red and watery, according to court documents.

The deputy noted that Sweet’s speech was slurred and unintelligible.

Sweet provided a breathalyzer sample, which yielded a blood alcohol content of .182 percent, which is more than twice the legal driving limit.

Sweet was taken to the jail and booked.

Deputies learned Sweet has prior DUI or related convictions from 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1999, 2002, 2004 and 2009.

Sweet is being held at the Yellowstone County jail without bond.

Reporting by Aja Goare for MTN News

BILLINGS – A Billings man faces five felony burglary charges for allegedly burglarizing several electronic and cell phone stores over a span of several weeks.

Matthew Jeremiah Koehn, 33, is accused of burglarizing the AT&T store on King Avenue West early Jan. 22, throwing a rock through the window to gain entry.

Court documents state he stole cell phones and displays worth more than $3,000.

Two weeks later on Feb. 5, Koehn is accused of burglarizing the Verzon Wireless store on King Avenue West, again throwing a rock through the window and stealing cell phones.

One week after that burglary, Cellular Plus was burglarized with similar tactics. The business on Montana Sapphire Drive provided photos of suspects to police, identifying a former female employee, Lindsey Lane.

On Feb. 16, iDoctor was burglarized. Surveillance video shows a man throwing a rock through the window. Thirteen cell phones worth $3,200 were stolen.

Officers contacted Lane, who admitted to her involvement of the burglaries, stating she drove. Lane identified the burglar as Koehn, her boyfriend.

On Monday, Koehn was located and was in possession of a stolen pickup. Documents state he also possessed 2.5 grams of meth.

Koehn was arrested and admitted to committing the burglaries.

The total value of the stolen items equals $5,000 and the broken windows exceed $1,500.

Reporting by Dustin Klemann for MTN News

BILLINGS – A Billings man was officially charged Tuesday with raping a teenage girl, who he allegedly gave money to keep quiet about it.

Colton Daniel Edwards, 25, is charged in Yellowstone County Justice Court with two counts of sexual intercourse without consent and one count of sexual assault. He was not in custody Tuesday, but a $100,000 warrant was issued for his arrest.

Billings police received a report in August of a sex offense involving a teenage victim.

Officers met with the mother of 14-year-old victim, who said her daughter had been sexually assaulted by Edwards.

The alleged assaults took place between November 2016 and March 2017.

The victim had reportedly disclosed the abuse to some of her friends, who then told the victim’s mother.

Officers interviewed the victim, who said the sexual contact with Edwards began with a kiss.

After kissing her, the girl said Edwards gave her $40 to keep quiet.

The girl told officers about a time Edwards had taken her to McDonald’s before taking her to his home to watch a movie.

During the movie, Edwards allegedly touched the girl under her clothes and then penetrated the victim.

The girl said she felt “stupid,” but that she did not want to get in trouble so she didn’t tell anyone what had happened.

The same scenario occurred another time, according to the girl.

The girl said Edwards later contacted her in a Snapchat message on her 15th birthday, telling her that people were “finding out” about their relationship and they couldn’t continue it.

The sexual contact ended at that point.

The victim’s sister told officers that she believed Edwards took advantage of the girl.

Investigators contacted Edwards by phone and he said he’d return the call after talking to his lawyer.

Edwards said he wanted to “get this off his plate,” according to court documents.

The detectives never received a call back from Edwards.

BILLINGS – After learning a former Billings Police Department employee tampered with dozens of criminal drug cases, Yellowstone County Attorney Scott Twito said his office is moving forward.

Twito met with the head public defender to work out the details of the evidence theft and how it impacts defendants.

The drugs were taken from 138 cases, according to Billings Police Chief Rich St. John.

While that affects 134 suspects or defendants, Twito said that doesn’t mean they will all get a clean slate.

Many of the affected cases involve multiple charges.

For instance, a defendant charged with drug possession and assault can still be held in custody and tried for the assault charge.

That being said, this situation cannot be minimized, Twito said.

He said the news that Rawlyn Strizich. 38. stole hundreds of pills was hard to hear.

“It sort of adds to my attorneys’ work load because they’ve got to double check this. Because the system generally works,” said Twito.

Strizich was an evidence technician when she admitted last month to stealing hundreds of opioids from evidence since July 2017.

According to marriage records in Yellowstone County, Strizich was married to former Billings Police Sgt. Edwin Young, who was convicted of a felony drug charge for possessing oxycodone. That’s the same drug Strizich admitted stealing from evidence.

The couple divorced in 2008, according to marriage records.

Already around 40 cases are being dropped because of the evidence thefts. That means dozens of hours of work by prosecutors will be thrown away.

But Twito said his office knows how to deal with setbacks and unforseen changes, such as those from the Legislature, and will power forward.

“That is a disappointment, but the criminal justice has to continue on and we have to do the right thing,” he said. “If we can’t prove the case because we can’t establish the chain of custody because that evidence is gone, we need to, in a lot of cases, dismiss the case.”

Strizich is not in custody and has yet to be charged.

But Twito said he’s been speaking with St. John about the case and anticipates charges.

Reporting by Aja Goare for MTN News