Lake County District Court news for Feb. 1, 2017
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Judge James A. Manley sentenced the following people on Wednesday, Jan 25:
James Lee Hoskinson, 24, of Polson, was given a deferred two-year sentence for criminal possession of dangerous drugs (methamphetamine). He was given credit for 74 days in jail and was required to have a chemical dependency evaluation completed within 30 days. Manley said he was going along with the plea agreement with a certain amount of concern. Hoskinson has no prior felonies but Deputy County Attorney James Lapotka noted he had gone missing for about a year.
Matthew Stephen Day, 40, of Polson, was sentenced to five years in the Department of Corrections with no time suspended for criminal possession of dangerous drugs. Manley had originally given Day a three-year deferred sentence, but probation officer Kris Studeny testified that Day had a number of probation violations, absconded to Hawaii, completed a treatment program in Washington but offended again. “Community supervision just isn’t going to work,” Manley said. He did recommend Day for the Department of Corrections’ Nexus drug treatment program. Lapotka noted that Day faces four or five other felony cases.
Jason David Weldele, 38, of Missoula, was given a three-year suspended sentence for one count of assault with a weapon. A second count was dismissed as part of a plea agreement. According to a court document, Weldele waved a knife around and threatened to kill everyone at an emergency room on May 17. Weldele previously completed the Nexus and Connections/Corrections drug treatment programs, but relapsed. He has been a meth user for 23 years and suffers from post traumatic stress, ADHD, bipolar and antisocial personality disorders and paranoid schizophrenia, according to a court document. He was given credit for 57 days in jail. Weldele has charges of criminal endangerment and partner family member assault pending in Flathead County.
Gage Daniel Stroop, 22, of Missoula, had his deferred two-year sentence revoked and was sentenced to five years with the Department of Corrections after some $10,000 in cash, firearms, ammunition and various illegal drugs were found in his Missoula residence on Jan. 4. The sentence will run concurrently with a 20-year sentence with 15 years suspended that he received Jan. 13 in Missoula County for aggravated assault. Stroop received the deferred sentence in Lake County on July 13, 2016 after a marijuana pipe, scale and a pink container with white residue later identified as methamphetamine were found in his vehicle on June 23, 2014. In court on Jan. 25, Stroop apologized for his actions. “I’m willing to take responsibility for my actions, get treatment and move on with my life,” Stroop said.
Judge Deborah Kim Christopher sentenced the following people Thursday, Jan. 26:
Nathan Aaron Ross, 28, St. Ignatius, had his sentence for felony criminal endangerment deferred for three years based on all conditions of the plea agreement. The sentence takes into account Ross’ lack of criminal history. According to court documents, on March 12, 2016, a woman called dispatch to report she had found an infant with a filthy diaper in the roadway on Foothills Road. The child was less than one year old, and no parent or guardian was anywhere around. Two hours later, Ross was observed walking down Foothills Road, and said he was looking for his son. Ross said he had been staying at his cousin’s house on Foothills Road, woke up, and noticed his son was not around the house. Because he appeared to be under the influence of drugs, a putdown was done and a snort tube and a syringe were found on his body. It was determined the found child was Ross’ son.
Todd Allen Somers, 52, Pablo, in accordance with the plea agreement was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for three years, all suspended, for felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs. Somers was also sentenced to six months in Lake County Jail, all suspended except 88 days served, for a lesser-included count of criminal trespass to property, a misdemeanor. For criminal stalking, a misdemeanor, he was given one year, with all time suspended. He is to have no contact with the victim, not be within 500 feet of her home or business, and pay restitution to her within one year for damage to her fence, house and personal property caused by Somers. The victim, according to State Prosecutor Ben Anciaux, “does not want contact with him. She does not want him to go to prison, but she does want him to stay away from her.” Judge Deborah Kim Christopher noted one of the reasons for the sentence is that it gives Somers an opportunity to “straighten out his life, if he chooses to do so.” According to court documents, on Sept. 15, 2016, Somers was stopped for speeding and driving in the wrong lane of travel. He did not have a valid driver’s license, and appeared under the influence of a drug. About a gram of methamphetamine inside a film canister was found in his vehicle. He sought and finished treatment, but another incident occurred later in the fall, Somers admitted during his Dec. 15, 2016, change of plea hearing. In late October 2016, a woman had broken off her relationship with Somers, and she repeatedly asked him to leave her alone. Between October and Nov. 16, 2016, Somers repeatedly called and texted her, threatening her and causing emotion distress, and showed up at her job. On Nov. 1, he went to her Polson home, kicked down her back gate, went into her house, threw things around and destroyed some of her property. A neighbor called to report a man was in her yard, and he was arrested when officers arrived, although he told law enforcement that he was there to fix her fence, which the victim adamantly denied. On Nov. 14, 2016, he sent a photo of himself holding a gun to his head to the victim’s friend.
