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Press Release

Informational: Federal Court arraignments

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

The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned this week before U.S. Magistrate judges and indictments handed down by the Grand Jury were unsealed. Indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:

Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on March 12 was:

OSCAR ANTONIO VALENZUELA, 27, of Los Angeles, CA, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute meth. Valenzuela was detained. If convicted of the most serious crime, Valenzuela faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release. The case was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the FBI’s Big Sky West Transnational Organized Crime Task Force. Pacer case reference. 18-127.

ALEXANDER FELIZ BULLTAIL, 27, of Billings, on charges of receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment for a felony. Bulltail was detained. If convicted of the most serious crime, Bulltail faces a maximum five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Pacer case reference. 19-13.

BIRD CORDELL, 24, of Billings, on charges of misappropriation of postal funds. Cordell was released pending trial. If convicted of the most serious crime, Cordell faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. Pacer case reference. 19-12.

Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on March 13 was:

ALPHONSE BIRD, 83, of Browning, on charges of aggravated sexual abuse and sexual abuse. Bird was detained. If convicted of the most serious crime, Bird faces a maximum life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release. The case was investigated by the FBI. Pacer case reference. 19-14.

Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah C. Lynch and pleading not guilty on March 14 was:

DEREK ALAN DEMBOWSKI, 41, of Thompson Falls, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth, distribution of meth, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and felon in possession of a firearm. Dembowski was detained. If convicted of the most serious crime, Dembowski faces a minimum mandatory five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and four years of supervised release. The case was investigated by the FBI. Pacer case reference. 19-10.

HATTIE MICHELLE REESE, 31, of Missoula, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth. Reese was released. If convicted of the most serious crime, Reese faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release. The case was investigated by the FBI. Pacer case reference. 19-11.

JUAN GERONIMO PINA, 38, of Washington, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth. Pina was detained. If convicted of the most serious crime, Pina faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release. The case was investigated by the FBI. Pacer case reference. 19-11.

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.

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.

 

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Contact

Clair Johnson Howard
Public Information Officer
406-247-4623

Updated March 18, 2019