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 beyond a reasonable doubt:

Appearing in Great Falls before Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris on a criminal complaint on Aug. 30 was:

Darius Rostas, 28, of Belgium, on charges of improper entry by alien. If convicted of the most serious crime, Rostas faces a maximum of six months in prison, a $100,000 fine and one year of supervised release. Rostas was detained pending further proceedings. The U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-82.

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on Aug. 29 was:

Johan Siemens, 29, of Taber, Alberta Canada, on charges of illegal reentry. If convicted of the most serious crime, Siemens faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Siemens was detained pending further proceedings. The U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-84.

Cornelius Froese, 26, of Vaeuxhall, Alberta, Canada, on charges of transporting illegal aliens. If convicted of the most serious crime, Froese faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Froese was detained pending further proceedings. The U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-83.

Justin Arthur Berger, 35, of Helena, on charges of possessing an unregistered machine gun, possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle and possessing unregistered silencers. If convicted of the most serious crime, Berger faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Berger was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI and Helena Police Department conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-15.

Shawn Saddler, Sr., 56, of Box Elder, on charges of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, and abusive sexual contact of a minor. If convicted of the most serious crime, Saddler faces a mandatory minimum of 30 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Saddler was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Rocky Boy’s Police Department conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-12.

Appearing on Aug. 28 was:

Jack Andrew Gillespie, 45, of Great Falls, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Gillespie faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release. Gillespie was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Great Falls Police Department, Cascade County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Highway Patrol conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-74.

Appearing on Aug. 22 was:

Shawn Arrants, 36, of Bozeman, on charges of possession with intent to distribute meth and felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Arrants faces a mandatory minimum five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Arrants was detained pending further proceedings. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Southwest Drug Task Force and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-13.

Heather Marie Dawn Follette, 37, of Fort Peck, on charges of possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Follette faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Follette was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI, Montana Highway Patrol, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Fort Peck Tribal Police conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-43.

Brian Dean Bell, 40, of Dodson, on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. If convicted of the most serous crime, Bell faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the assault crime and a mandatory minimum five years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the firearm crime. Bell was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Fort Belknap Police Department conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-03.

Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on Aug. 29 was:

Rhonda Mae Felsman, 46, of Charlo, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted of the most serious crime, Felsman faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Felsman was released pending further proceedings. The Northwest Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-33.

Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on Aug. 31 was:

Azuriah Austin Stallcup, 19, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Stallcup faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Stallcup was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-93.

Oliver Rowe, 32, of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, on charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. If convicted of the most serious crime, Rowe faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and three years of supervised release. Rowe was released pending further proceedings. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Montana Highway Patrol conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-71.

Adolfo Vargas Lepe, 59, of Roberts, on charges of kidnapping. If convicted of the most serious crime, Lepe faces life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release. Lepe was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-79.

Appearing on Aug. 22 was:

Matthew Todd Stump, 53, of Joliet, on charges of possession of unregistered firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Stump faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $10,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Stump was released pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Carbon County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-87.

The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.

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