Lake County District Court news for Mar. 25, 2015
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Judge James A. Manley dealt with the following cases Wednesday, March 18:
Beth A. Oldhorn, 30, Polson, had her suspended sentence for criminal possession with intent to distribute revoked because she violated the conditions of parole and probation. She was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for six years, all suspended, and credited for 26 days served.
Matthew Lawrence Mahkuk, 35, St. Ignatius, was sentenced to DOC for five years with one year suspended for criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony.
According to court documents, a Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy arrived at Mahkuk’s residence in October 2014 to take custody of a minor child for Child Protective Services. Mahkuk lied to the deputy, denying that the person CPS wished to speak to was in the home. Mahkuk, who was on a conditional release from the Department of Corrections, allowed the deputy to search the home. The person was found in the home, as were boxes of ammunition. After receiving authorization from Mahkuk’s probation officer to search the home, the deputy found a glass pipe containing methamphetamine residue in Mahkuk’s bedroom.
Elijah Cole Burdeau, 18, Browning, pleaded not guilty to felony burglary. An omnibus hearing is set for April 29 and a jury trial for June 15. Burdeau is out on a $10,000 bond.
According to court documents, on March 2 Burdeau and Jerray Eugene Rowland entered a home to retrieve a $20 bill for a woman who said money had been stolen from her. After entering the home, they found and took the $20, but Burdeau and Rowland allegedly also stole a 50-inch flat screen TV from the home.
Valerie Denise Caye, 33, Elmo, pleaded not guilty to assault with a weapon, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for April 29 and a jury trial for June 15.
According to court documents, a man called 911 to report that his girlfriend had threatened him with a knife. When deputies arrived, Caye told officers she had grabbed a knife and threatened him, adding that he had accused her of sleeping around and was always cutting her down by calling her “fat” and “lazy.”
Dana Comesatnight, 32, Polson, in a change of plea admitted committing the offense of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. The court found her guilty. Sentencing is set for April 22.
According to court documents, charges stem from an April 3, 2014 incident where Comesatnight was detained for a traffic stop on Highway 93. A pat down search revealed a scale commonly used to weigh dangerous drugs and a small baggie presumed to be methamphetamine. Comesatnight told the Montana State Trooper that she was an alcoholic and had recently used methamphetamine, and that the meth in the baggie was hers. The baggie and scale were sent to the Montana state crime lab for analysis.
Sonny Morigeau, 38, Polson, in a change of plea admitted committing the offense of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. The court found Morigeau guilty, and sentencing is set for April 22.
According to court documents Flathead Tribal Police found small packages of methamphetamine inside Morigeau’s clothes as he was being processed at Tribal Jail for unrelated charges.
Judge Deborah Kim Christopher dealt with the following cases Thursday, March 19:
James Allen Dupuis, 34, Polson, was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for 12 years after having his suspended sentence for theft and criminal endangerment revoked. The court recommends Dupuis receive treatment for chemical dependency.
Harold Dean Sevier, age and city of residence not available, pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth or subsequent offense.
An omnibus hearing is set for June 18 and a jury trial is set for July 27.
According to court documents, on Oct. 11, 2014, a Polson Police officer pulled over the vehicle Sevier was driving. Sevier showed several signs of intoxication but refused to give a breath sample. A blood sample was collected at a local hospital that determined Sevier’s blood alcohol level was .146. Sevier has three prior DUI convictions.
Steven William Ely, 55, Pablo, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony.
An omnibus hearing is set for June 18 and a jury trial is set for July 27.
According to court documents, on April 12, 2014, Ely was stopped for a traffic violation, and methamphetamine was found in his vehicle.
Dalton Collier, 24, Polson, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony,
An omnibus hearing is set for June 18 and a jury trial is set for July 27.
According to court documents, Collier was stopped Feb. 13, 2013 because he was a suspect in a theft. He was uncooperative with law enforcement and refused to get out of his vehicle. The Lake County Sheriff’s deputy found a Sharpie marker with a syringe inside, plus a spoon with methamphetamine residue, empty baggies, a snort tube, Q-tips and a pipe.
Jerray Eugene Rowland, 18, Missoula, pleaded guilty at his arraignment, admitting he committed felony burglary. The court found him guilty, and sentencing is set for April 23.
According to court documents, on March 2 Rowland and Elijah Cole Burdeau entered a home to retrieve a $20 bill for a woman who said money had been stolen from her. After entering the home, they found and took the $20, but Rowland and the other man also took a 50-inch flat screen TV.
Corey Mike Kelly, 25, Pablo, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for May 7 and a jury trial is set for June 22.
According to court documents, Kelly was arrested March 5 on a search warrant and a baggie with two large pieces of crystalline methamphetamine was found in his possession.
Edwin Andrew Hanson, 33, Polson, pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. An omnibus hearing is set for July 9 and a jury trial August 24.
According to court documents, just before 6 a.m. on Feb. 26 in the middle of Irvine Flats Road, a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy found Hanson passed out in the driver’s seat with an open container of beer. When the officer woke Hanson up, Hanson said he had been drinking the night before and was taking back roads home. He gave a breath sample that indicated his blood alcohol concentration was .129. Hanson’s driving record shows at least three prior DUI convictions.
Reba Ann Hawkins, 27, Polson, pleaded not guilty to felony theft. An omnibus hearing is set for May 7 and a jury trial is set for June 22.
According to court documents, Hawkins is currently being held in Lake County Jail on felony assault charges for crashing into a patrol vehicle and injuring the officer after leading officers on a high-speed chase through Pablo and Ronan in September 2014.
She also allegedly has $60,000-$80,000 of stolen tools and Snap On tool chests stored in a rented storage unit. The tools had been reported stolen from an adjacent rental unit on Aug. 25, 2014. Agents of the Mission Mountain Drug Task Force discovered the alleged theft during an unrelated investigation in which they had a search warrant for another person’s cell phone. In a text message, an unidentified person stated that an inmate at Lake County Jail had a Snap On tool chest in a storage unit in Mission, and “the chick jacked it and put it there and she got in a high speed chase over the summer, so she is going back to prison. She said if I can get into the shed (and) get the toolbox, I can have it as long as I put money on her books. The toolbox alone is worth two grand.”
Court documents state Hawkins is going back to prison.
Edward G. Truman, 24, Polson, pleaded not guilty to criminal endangerment, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for June 18 and a jury trial for July 27.
According to court documents, on Feb. 21 around 2 a.m. Truman passed a Highway Patrol Trooper on Highway 93 south of Polson. Truman was driving 105 mph in a 65 mph zone. The trooper pursued with his lights flashing as Truman turned east onto Mud Lake Trail. The trooper was driving in excess of 100 mph and could not catch up to Truman, and watched a car swerve to avoid Truman’s vehicle. Truman lost control of his vehicle, ending upside-down in a ditch before he fled on foot through two driveways and three barbed-wire fences. When Truman didn’t stop, the trooper tased him and handcuffed him. A breath test showed Truman’s BAC was above the legal limit. Other charges are pending, awaiting results of a blood draw.
