Kalispell Felon Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of 10 Firearms, Ammunition
MISSOULA, Mont. — A Kalispell resident with three felony convictions was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after law enforcement recovered 10 firearms from his home after three incidents involving firearms, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Jose Angel Estrello, 40, pleaded guilty in June to prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Estrello had three prior felony convictions, including two convictions for robbery in California, and was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. In July 2022, Flathead County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of shots fired near McMannamy Draw and met with Estrello. Estrello was hostile toward the deputies and made comments about getting an AR-15 to defend himself against law enforcement. The next day, sheriff’s deputies responded to a disturbance involving a weapon in a campground. Deputies learned that Estrello exchanged words with another person about a parking spot, pulled a handgun out of his pocket and stated, “This is how we take care of this in Compton.” Deputies responded to a third incident involving road rage near Kalispell and determined that Estrello had pointed a gun at another family. In August 2022, law enforcement searched Estrello’s residence and located 10 firearms, seven magazines and assorted ammunition.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer S. Clark prosecuted the case. The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
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