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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 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 Sept. 2 was:

Rachell Sheree Abbott, 34, of Great Falls, on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted of the most serious crime, Abbott faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the fraud crimes and a mandatory minimum two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release consecutive to any other sentence on the aggravated identity theft crime. Abbott was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Great Falls Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-58.

Kent James Fox, 48, of Great Falls, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of controlled substances resulting in death and drug user in possession of firearms and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Fox faces a mandatory minimum 20 years to life in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release. Fox was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Great Falls Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-63.

Brandie Rae Fulbright, 39, of Great Falls, on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances resulting in death. If convicted of the most serious crime, Fulbright faces a mandatory minimum 20 years to life in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release. Fulbright was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Great Falls Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-63.

Appearing on Aug. 31 was:

David Jay Pando, 33, of Glendive, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy involving firearm and drug trafficking crime and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense. If convicted of the most serious crime, Pando faces a mandatory minimum five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release on the drug crime and a mandatory minimum five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the firearms crime. Pando was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Great Falls Police Department, Cascade County Sheriff’s Office, Teton County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Highway Patrol investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-55.

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

Sept. 3 was:

John Michael Perault, 48, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Perault faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Perault was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-62.

Appearing on Sept. 2 was:

Nicole Marie Bezjon, 42, a transient, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth, possession with intent to distribute meth and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted of the most serious crime, Bezjon faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release on the drug crime and a mandatory minimum five years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and at least five years of supervised release on the firearms count. Bezjon was detained pending further proceedings. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-57.

Mark Jay Albrecht, 64, of Gillette, Wyoming, on charges of false statement. If convicted of the most serious crime, Albrecht faces a maximum five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Albrecht was released pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case.  PACER case reference. 21-41.

Dakota James Calendrillo, 30, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Calendrillo faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Calendrillo was released pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-48.

Appearing on Aug. 31 was:

Brian Pretty Weasel, 31, of Crow Agency, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Pretty Weasel faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Pretty Weasel was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-63.

Amir Burhan Mallak, 41, of Billings, on charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of controlled substances, prohibited person in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted of the most serious crime, Mallak faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release on the drug 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 possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Mallak was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-53.

Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on Aug. 30 was:

Tina Rae Wood, 49, of Thompson Falls, on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted of the most serious crime, Wood faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Wood was released pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-31.

Noah Alexander Van Pelt, 28, of Missoula, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Van Pelt faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Van Pelt was released pending further proceedings. The Missoula Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-34.

Andrew David Golie, 34, of Hamilton, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Golie faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Golie was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI, FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Missoula Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-27.

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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Contact

Clair J. Howard
Public Affairs Officer
406-247-4623

Updated September 3, 2021