Information: Federal Court Arraignments

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 Judge Ostby in Billings on April 30, 2015, and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:

• CAROLANN CHAVIS, a 26-year-old resident of Lodge Grass, appeared on charges of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury.  If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, CHAVIS faces 5 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  PACER Case Reference.  15-40

• TOMAS ALEXANDER DELAO, a 31-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, DELAO faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Big Sky Safe Streets Task Force and Eastern Montana HIDTA.  PACER Case Reference.  15-42

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ostby in Billings on April 29, 2015, and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:

• ZACHARY KYLE AMERICAN HORSE, a 20-year-old resident of Lame Deer, appeared on charges of assault resulting in serious bodily injury and assault with a dangerous weapon.  If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, AMERICAN HORSE faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  PACER Case reference.  15-23

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Johnston in Great Falls on April 28, 2015, and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:

• CHERYL LYNN HEAVY RUNNER, a 52-year-old resident of Browning, appeared on charges of theft of federally provided welfare benefits by fraud and federal welfare assistance fraud.  If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, HEAVY RUNNER faces10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.  PACER Case Reference.  15-24

• MARCELLE HELENE PEPION, a 58-year-old resident of Browning, appeared on charges of theft of federal provided welfare benefits by fraud and federal welfare assistance fraud.  If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, PEPION faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.  PACER Case Reference.  15-25

• TYLER JAY REINMUTH, a 30-year-old resident of Havre, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, REINMUTH faces 40 years in prison, $5,000,000 in fines and 4 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Russell Country Drug Task Force and Havre Police Department.  PACER Case Reference.  15-29

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ostby in Billings on April 28, 2015, and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:

• GARRET JAY COSTA, JR, A 23-year-old resident of Crow Agency, appeared on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.  If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, COSTA faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  PACER Case Reference:  15-41

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lynch in Missoula on April 28, 2015, and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:

• STEPHON ELIJAH COAKLEY, a 19-year-old resident of Spokane, Washington, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin.  If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, COAKLEY faces 40 years in prison, $5,000,000 in fines and 4 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Missoula Street Crimes Unit, Missoula County Sheriff’s Office Missoula Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  PACER Case Reference.  15-06

• FREDERICK GLEN JOHNSON, a 47-year-old resident of Spokane, Washington, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, possess and brandish a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, felon in possession of firearm/armed career criminal, transportation of a person with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering.  The case was investigated by the Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Missoula Street Crimes Unit, Missoula County Sheriff’s Office Missoula Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  PACER Case Reference.  15-06

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ostby in Billings on April 27, 2015, and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:

• HARRY EDWARD ALLEN, Jr., a 33-year-old resident of Tulare, California, 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, ALLEN 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.  14-115

• HOPIE DANIELLE ALVAREZ, a 41-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine.  If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, ALVAREZ faces life in prison, $5,000,000 in fines and 4 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the FBI Task Force.  PACER Case Reference.  15-27

• HOPIE DANIELLE ALVAREZ, a 41-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering.  If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, ALVAREZ faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the FBI Task Force.  PACER Case Reference.  15-29

• LUKE MICHAEL DOVEL, a 20-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of receipt of a firearm and ammunition by person under indictment and possession of a stolen firearm.  If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, DOVEL 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, Billings Police Department and Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office.  PACER Case Reference.  15-33

• JUAN CARLOS LOPEZ-FIGUEROA, a 40-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering.  If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, LOPEZ-FIGUEROA faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the FBI Task Force.  PACER Case Reference.  15-29

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ostby in Billings on April 22, 2015, and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:

• LETHA JEWELL BIXBY, a 31-year-old resident of Lame Deer, appeared on charges of felony child abuse.  If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, BIXBY faces 10 years in prison, $50,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.  PACER Case Reference.  15-38

• VIRGINIA MARTINEZ, a 49-year-old resident of Hardin, appeared on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine.  If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, MARTINEZ faces 20 years in prison, $1,000,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.  PACER Case Reference.  15-45

• CAROL EDITH PRETTY ON TOP, a 32-year-old resident of Lame Deer, appeared on charges of assault resulting in serious bodily injury and assault with a dangerous weapon.  If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, PRETTY ON TOP 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.  15-47

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Johnston in Great Falls on April 21, 2015, and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:

• KEITH MOREHOUSE, a 30-year-old resident of Glasgow, appeared on charges of unlawful taking of a golden eagle.  If convicted of the charge contained in the information, MOREHOUSE faces 1 year in prison and $100,000 in fines. The case was investigated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.  PACER Case Reference:  15-26

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.