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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 Lynch in Missoula on February 25, 2016 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:

  • STEPHEN JOSEPH MARTIN, a 75-year-old resident of Phoenix, Arizona, appeared on charges of failure to register as a sex offender.  If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, MARTIN faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.  PACER Case Reference.  16-04

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

  • JUAN CARLOS DORADO, a 40-year-old resident of Tucson, Arizona, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering.  If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, DORADO faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations and HIDTA.  PACER Case Reference.  16-05
  • JUAN RAMON DELGADILLO-MEZA, a 40-year-old resident of Ephrata, Washington, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, DELGADILLO-MEZA 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.  16-12
  • OTIS TAYLOR YELLOW MULE, a 29-year-old resident of Wyola, appeared on charges of escape.  If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, YELLOW MULE faces 5 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.  PACER Case Reference.  16-24

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Johnston in Great Falls on February 24, 2016 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:

  • DAVID LEE ARMITAGE, a 27-year-old resident of Great Falls, appeared on charges of possession of a firearm not registered in National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.  If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, ARMITAGE faces 10 years in prison, $10,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  PACER Case Reference.  15-85
  • LINDA D. TAYLOR, a 61-year-old resident of Great Falls, appeared on charges of desertion of mails and delay or destruction of mail.  If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, TAYLOR faces 1 year in prison and $100,000 in fines.  The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General.  PACER Case Reference.  16-05

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Ostby in Billings on February 23, 2016 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:

  • OMAR COTA, a 21-year-old resident of Mexico, 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, COTA faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations and HIDTA.  PACER Case Reference.  16-04
  • TOMAS COTA, a 21-year-old resident of Mexico, 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, COTA faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations and HIDTA.  PACER Case Reference.  16-04
  • BETHANY ANN FAIRCHILD, a 29-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, FAIRCHILD 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.  16-12

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 February 26, 2016

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