Informational: Federal Court Arraignment
| U.S. Attorney's Office April 12, 2011 |
The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings on April 12, 2011, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carolyn S. Ostby, the following individual was arraigned:
SUSAN LaFORGE, a 36-year-old resident of Wyola, appeared on a charge of distribution of methamphetamine. She is currently released on special conditions. If convicted of this charge, LaFORGE faces possible penalties of 20 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, and three years’ supervised release. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vince Caroll is the prosecutor for the United States. The investigation was a cooperative effort between Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation.
The defendant pled not guilty to the charge.
The charge—an indictment, information, or complaint—is merely an accusation and all persons named as defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A pre-trial conference and a trial date will be set and the United States will be required to prove the allegations set forth in the indictment beyond a reasonable doubt.