Informational: Federal Court Arraignments
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on April 12 was:
Jasper Ryan Rattler, 19, of Browning, on charges of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury. If convicted of the most serious crime, Rattler faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Rattler was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-4.
Michael Lee Roope, 42, of Helena, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Roope faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Roope was detained pending further proceedings. The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Probation and Parole and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-2.
Romeiro Mased Williams, aka Rico, 30, of Detroit, Michigan, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious crime, Williams faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release. Williams was released pending further proceedings. The FBI, Tri-Agency Task Force, Russell Country High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-72.
Megan Kaszha Yellow Owl, 32, of Lodge Grass, on charges of arson. If convicted of the most serious crime, Yellow Owl faces a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release. Yellow Owl was released pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-14.
Lyndon Blaine Walsh, 54, of Kalispell, on charges of possession of unregistered firearm silencer and felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Walsh faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Walsh was released pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-18.
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on April 14 was:
Calob Scott Fairburn, 35, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Fairburn faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Fairburn was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-30.
Christopher James Ortiz, 30, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Ortiz faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Ortiz was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-32.
Baily Kathleen Lind, 28, a transient, on charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted of the most serious crime, Lind faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the bank fraud crime and a mandatory minimum two years in prison, consecutive to any other punishment, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release on the aggravated identity theft crime. Lind was detained pending further proceedings. Homeland Security Investigations and the Billings Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-31.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system.
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