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Press Release

Information: Federal Court Arraignments

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Montana

The United States Attorney’s Office announced that those persons listed below were arraigned before the U.S. Magistrate and the indictments handed down by the Grand Jury unsealed.

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Ostby in Billings on June 29, 2016 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:

  • DOUGLAS DONALD PAIGE, a 36-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of felon in possession of a firearm.  If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, PAIGE faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.   PACER Case Reference. 16-64
  • VICTOR MIGUEL RIVERA-MUNOZ, a 30-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of felon in possession of a firearm, and illegal alien in possession of a firearm.  If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, RIVERA-MUNOZ faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the FBI Task Force.  PACER Case Reference. 16-66

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Johnston in Great Falls on June 28, 2016 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:

  • PAMELA STAR ANDERSEN, a 30-year-old resident of Peerless, appeared on charges of fraudulent issue of postal money orders, and misappropriation of postal funds.  If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, ANDERSEN faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General.  PACER Case Reference. 16-42
  • DEBORAH JOY DURAND, a 53-year-old resident of Vaughn, appeared on charges of false statement and fraud to obtain federal employee’s compensation, wire fraud, False Claims Act/fraudulent claims relating to workers’ compensation benefits, theft of government property.  If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, DURAND faces 20 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, and lifetime supervised release.  The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General.  PACER Case Reference. 16-43
  • KEVIN DAVID McGOVERN, a 46-year-old resident of Havre, appeared on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and the Chippewa Cree Tribe, scheme to defraud the United States and the Chippewa Cree Tribe, and bribery of an Indian tribal government official. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, McGOVERN faces 20 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Interior Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  PACER Case Reference. 16-44

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Lynch in Missoula on June 27, 2016 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:

  • KIRK EDWARD BARSNESS, a 47-year-old resident of Bozeman, appeared on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, BARSNESS faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines, and 5 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Montana Division of Criminal Investigations, Missouri River Drug Task Force, and the Montana Highway Patrol.  PACER Case Reference. 16-15
  • ANTONIO GARCIA-CARDENAS, a 26-year-old resident of Pasco, Washington, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, GARCIA-CARDENAS faces 20 years in prison, $1,000,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.  PACER Case Reference. 16-22

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Lynch in Missoula on June 24, 2016 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:

  • CHRISTOPHER GLEN BAIRD, a 48-year-old resident of Las Vegas, Nevada, appeared on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of a firearm.  If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, BAIRD faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines, and 5 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  PACER Case Reference. 16-26
  • CARISSA LYNN KOPP, a 34-year-old resident of Missoula, appeared on charges of conspiracy to commit robbery affecting commerce, robbery affecting commerce, carjacking, kidnapping, possess and brandish a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and possess and discharge a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, KOPP faces life in prison, $250,000 in fines, and 5 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Missoula County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force, and Missoula Police Department.  PACER Case Reference. 16-28
  • BRIAN WAYNE ROGERS, a 38-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of a firearm.  If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, ROGERS faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines, and 5 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  PACER Case Reference. 16-26
  • NICK WEST, a 38-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of conspiracy to commit robbery affecting commerce, robbery affecting commerce, carjacking, kidnapping, possess and brandish a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, ROGERS faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines, and 5 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  PACER Case Reference. 16-26

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Ostby in Billings on June 24, 2016 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:

  • DAN CARLSON, a 49-year-old resident of Lame Deer, appeared on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm.  If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, CARLSON faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.  PACER Case Reference. 16-59
  • THEODORE ALLEN WARE, a 46-year-old resident of Crow Agency, appeared on charges of aggravated sexual abuse, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and strangulation.  If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, WARE faces life in prison, $250,000 in fines, and 5 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  PACER Case Reference. 16-70

If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system so that you stay current and not miss any important developments in the case.

To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.

Updated July 1, 2016

Press Release Number: MELISSA HORNBEIN, Public Information Officer, (406) 457-5277