Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on May 20, 2009, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, ANTONIO LAMONT STUMP, a 28-year-old resident of Bismarck, North Dakota, appeared for sentencing. STUMP was sentenced to a term of:

• Prison: 15 months

• Special Assessment: $100

• Restitution: $550

• Supervised Release: 3 years

STUMP was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to sale of a stolen firearm.

In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

In late September of 2008, while shopping at a consignment shop in Havre, an individual noticed his missing Llama 9 mm pistol was displayed for sale. Earlier that month, the individual had learned that his pistol had been stolen.

The individual had left his pistol with his girlfriend's brother in March or April of 2008 because there had been several home burglaries in the neighborhood.

In July of 2008, the girlfriend's brother noticed that the gun was missing from the dresser drawer where he had hidden it. He had not given or loaned the gun to anyone, so believed it was stolen. STUMP had been visiting the family on the Rocky Boy Reservation during the summer of 2008.

The owner of the consignment shop identified STUMP as the person who sold the Llama 9 mm pistol. The owner provided a copy of the sales receipt signed by STUMP and listing STUMP as the seller to law enforcement.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that STUMP will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, STUMP does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebekah J. French prosecuted the case for the United States.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This conviction is yet another important outcome from Project Safe Neighborhoods, a national priority of the United States Department of Justice. PSN is designed as a partnership between federal and local law enforcement to reduce violent crime and gun-related crime through the vigorous enforcement of the criminal provisions of the federal firearms laws. In Montana, the effort under PSN is called "Catch and No Release."

 

 

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