Sacred Rain Runs Through Pleads Guilty in U.S. Federal Court
The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on June 2, 2011, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Strong, SACRED RAIN RUNS THROUGH, a 22-year-old resident of Poplar, pled guilty to burglary. Sentencing has been set for September 26, 2011. He is currently detained.
In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
On August 4, 2010, around 12:40 a.m., three witnesses drove past Hi-Line Sports in Wolf Point and saw a male breaking into the store. He was surrounded by broken glass from the front door and started to run away while carrying a long black rifle with a white tag. The witnesses turned the car around, followed the male into the back alley, and called 911 to report the break-in. The police arrived and the witnesses directed them to a field behind a motel where the male had run.
Law enforcement located the male in the field and yelled at him to stop. The male appeared to drop an assault rifle in the grass. He was arrested and identified as RUNS THROUGH. Police then searched the field and found three hand guns and a rifle. When placed in the patrol car, RUNS THROUGH told an officer he was the one who broke into Hi-Line Sports and that he did it out of idiocy.
Police searched the outside of Hi-Line Sports for additional evidence. A rifle was found in the alley behind the store. Law enforcement conducted two additional, separate interviews of RUNS THROUGH. In both interviews, RUNS THROUGH stated he had been drinking alcohol and kicked in the glass at Hi-Line Sports and that he stole the guns. Five firearms were found and seized as evidence.
RUNS THROUGH faces possible penalties of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years supervised release.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Fort Peck Tribes Criminal Investigation Division and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
A copy of the Offer of Proof can be obtained by contacting Sally Frank at (406) 247-4638.
