Henry Thomas Standing Elk, Jr. Pleads Guilty in U.S. Federal Court
The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on August 25, 2011, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, HENRY THOMAS STANDING ELK, JR., a 34-year-old resident of Great Falls, pled guilty to failure to register as a sexual offender. Sentencing has been set for November 14, 2011. He is currently detained.
In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura B. Weiss, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
In January of 1997, STANDING ELK was convicted of abusive sexual contact in federal district court in Casper, Wyoming. As part of the judgment and sentence, he was required to register as a sexual offender and was informed he needed to provide written notice of any address change.
On April 13, 2011, the U.S. Marshals Service received information that STANDING ELK was registered as living in Cheyenne, however was transient and believed to have left Wyoming in mid-March. Information obtained from the sex offender registry in Laramie County, Wyoming, indicated STANDING ELK could be residing in Great Falls with his mother.
STANDING ELK was arrested for DUI and spent the night of April 10, 2011, at the Cascade County Detention Center. STANDING ELK told staff he was living with his mother at her residence in Great Falls.
The Great Falls Police Station Sex Offender Registry office made several attempts to get STANDING ELK registered as a sex offender. STANDING ELK cancelled appointments and provided bad phone information. After STANDING ELK failed to keep the appointments and continued to live in the Great Falls area, a warrant was requested for STANDING ELK's failure to register as a sex offender.
On April 13, 2011, STANDING ELK's mother spoke with law enforcement and confirmed that STANDING ELK was living with her from time to time and he would go to Heart Butte, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, to visit his stepfather.
The Montana Sexual and Violent Offender Registry confirmed STANDING ELK had been out of compliance since March of 2011.
STANDING ELK faces possible penalties of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 5 years supervised release.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the U.S. Marshals Service and the Great Falls Police Department.
A copy of the Offer of Proof can be obtained by contacting Sally Frank at (406) 247-4638.
