Lake County District Court news for July 1, 2015
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Judge James A. Manley dealt with the following cases Wednesday, June 24:
James Wilson Allen, 40, St. Ignatius, had his 2013 suspended sentence for criminal endangerment revoked, and he was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for five years. Allen has an assault with a weapon case pending where he allegedly shot at a police officer last January in St. Ignatius; he will be held in Lake County Jail until that case has been decided.
According to court documents, the criminal endangerment charge stemmed from a January 2013 incident where Allen tried to back his pickup truck into a Lake County Sheriff Deputy’s vehicle’s driver side door as the deputy attempted to enter.
John Xavier Billedeaux, 38, Ronan, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for July 29; a jury trial is set to start Sept. 14.
According to court documents, Billedeaux’s vehicle was seized on Jan. 25, 2014, and during a search of the vehicle two days later a syringe was found that contained methamphetamine.
Randy Scott Hart, 58, Kalispell, pleaded not guilty to theft, a common scheme, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for Sept. 16; a jury trial is set to start Dec. 14.
According to court documents, during Hart’s 16-month employment with the Polson School District at the bus garage, he allegedly charged personal items from numerous retailers on the Polson School District account without authority. Hart allegedly told the auto parts store employees that he could purchase his own items on the card the district would deduct the amount from his payroll. In an interview with a police officer, Hart admitted the he did not pay for what he estimated to be $3,000-$4,000 of personal items, and that the district did not authorize payroll deductions.
The items included diesel gas, tires and car parts totaling at least $3,183.15. Hart resigned from the district Sept. 6, 2013.
Llewellyn James Andrew, 37, Elmo, pleaded not guilty to two counts of felony forgery. An omnibus hearing is set for July 29; a jury trial is set to begin Sept. 14.
According to court documents, during April and May Andrew allegedly wrote and signed checks at various Lake County businesses on checks that did not belong to him. He also called himself by the checkbook owner’s name during the transaction. One checkbook owner by the name of Roberta had previously reported her checks were stolen; while using her checks, Andrew tried to pass as “Robert A.”
William Thomas Suttenfield, 25, Polson, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession with intent to distribute, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for Sept. 16; a jury trial is set for Dec. 14.
According to court documents, a U.S. Postal Service inspector from Bakersfield, California, received a suspicious parcel that smelled of marijuana and was being sent to a “Sogenfeld” at a Polson address. The package had been shipped overnight, and the sender did not request verification on the signature that is usual on overnight parcels. Additionally, the names were spelled poorly, so the inspector contacted a Montana inspector in Helena.
The Montana inspector contacted a Polson police officer and explained the situation. The police officer got a search warrant, and after the Montana inspector delivered the package to Suttenfield, several police officers entered Suttenfield’s residence and opened the box. Inside was a duffel bag with five containers of marijuana that had been shrink wrapped and vacuum sealed. Additional boxes with the same name and address were found in the residence, plus a scale and drug paraphernalia. When Suttenfield was interviewed, he told the officer that he had received four parcels from his brother-in-law during 2014, with two pounds of marijuana in each box. Suttenfield said he would sell the marijuana for $225 per ounce, making a profit of $1,300 per pound for himself and sending $2,300 per pound back to his brother-in-law.
Matthew G. Manyhides, Polson, pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for July 29; a jury trial is set to begin Sept. 14.
According to court documents, on Feb. 24 a woman called 911 to report a male who was passed out on her lawn. When a Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy arrived, the male, Manyhides, refused treatment. He had two warrants for his arrest: one for criminal possession of dangerous drugs, and the other for escape. He was arrested and a baggie of methamphetamine was found on his person.
Douglas Jerome Pierre, 40, Ronan, pleaded not guilty to criminal endangerment. An omnibus hearing is set for July 29; a jury trial is set to begin Sept. 14.
According to court documents, a Ronan police officer was sent to arrest Pierre on an outstanding warrant. When the officer arrived at Pierre’s residence, Pierre drove off and then initially refused to pull over when the officer attempted to stop him. Pierre eventually stopped, and as the officer exited his vehicle, Pierre sped off, allegedly endangering the life of a pedestrian and cyclist. He was finally apprehended after the officer called in reinforcements.
Sarah Ruth Wahl, 39, Arlee, in a change of plea admitted committing the offense of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, and was committed to the Department of Corrections for one year to run consecutively to a Missoula sentence.
Elijah Cole Burdeau, 18, Browning, in a change of plea admitted committing felony burglary. The court found Burdeau guilty, and sentencing is set for Aug. 5.
Judge Deborah Kim Christopher dealt with the following cases Thursday, June 25:
James Wilson Dale, 40, Big Arm, pleaded not guilty to two counts of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. An omnibus hearing is set for Sept. 3; a jury trial is set to start Dec. 7. Wilson was released on his own recognizance with conditions.
According to court documents, at 7:47 p.m. May 9, Dale was stopped on Highway 93 on Polson hill for driving in excess of 65 mph in a 55 mph zone. Dale was driving on a suspended or revoked license, and he was arrested and his car was impounded. The patrolling Tribal officer also smelled marijuana in the vehicle. An agent of the Mission Mountain Drug Task Force searched the vehicle on a warrant and found three baggies of marijuana totaling 83.2 grams. The officer also found a pouch with three Butalbital tablets inside. Butalbital is a schedule III dangerous drug that requires a prescription.
Andrew Jackson, 29, Ronan, in a change of plea admitted committing the offense of deceptive practices, a felony. The court found Jackson guilty. Sentencing is set for July 30.
According to court documents, Jackson, while working as a broker in 2013, accepted money for cattle but never purchased the livestock. Jackson said he used the money to pay other debts. Jackson spent about $178,920 of his clients’ money, and was never licensed or bonded as a livestock broker, although law requires both.
Heather Rose Bird, 32, Charlo, in a change of plea admitted committing the offense of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony. The court found Bird guilty and set sentencing for July 30.
According to court documents, on April 30, 2014, an officer seized a vehicle that contained Bird’s purse, and two methadone pills were found inside her purse.
Mickey Kent Wolf, 29, Polson, in a change of plea admitted committing felony burglary. The court found him guilty and sentencing is set for July 30. Wolf’s attorney asked the a second count of felony burglary be dismissed, but the court wanted to wait to make that decision. The court gave Wolf permission to remove his GPS monitoring device.
According to court documents, on Jan. 18 Wolf broke into DynoMart in Ronan and stole a cash deposit safe, the day’s bank deposit, part of a DVR security video system storage device, plus other possible items including cigarettes.
Edward Ward Stasso, 40, Polson, in a change of plea admitted committing an amended offense of felony criminal endangerment.
The court accepted the plea and found Stasso guilty. Sentencing is set for Aug. 13. Stasso was released without a SCRAM alcohol monitoring device on the condition he gets twice-daily breath tests.
According to court documents, on March 26 a woman came to the Lake County courthouse with a swollen face and a bleeding lip, and said Stasso had assaulted her.
