Man given five years on drug charges, strangulation
courtesy photo
Andrew Bybee
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A Polson man was committed to the Montana Department of Corrections for a total of five years with no time suspended for drug and strangulation charges. The case also involved probation violations on a tampering charge from 2008.
Andrew Joseph Bybee, 38, pleaded guilty in Polson District Court on May 27 to possessing methamphetamine on Oct. 9, 2019, in Polson. Bybee also pleaded guilty to applying pressure to the neck area of a former girlfriend.
Court records allege that Bybee got into a physical altercation with the victim while at a storage unit in the Ronan area on Dec. 1, 2019. The victim told investigators that Bybee had placed his hands around her neck and attempted to strangle her. The same victim reported that Bybee had threatened her with a knife, on Dec. 10, 2019, and left her threatening phone and text messages the following day.
As part of a plea agreement several charges were dismissed, including obstructing a peace officer, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, assault with a weapon and three counts of privacy in communication.
Judge James Manley gave Bybee credit for 168 days of jail time already served.
