The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Missoula, on December 16, 2010, before U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, DANIEL NATHAN McKEE, a 22-year-old resident of Missoula, appeared for sentencing. McKEE was sentenced to a term of:

• Prison: 60 months, consecutive to a state court sentence

• Special Assessment: $100

• Forfeiture: firearms

• Supervised Release: 3 years

McKEE was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to being a felon-in-possession of a firearm.

In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

On August 13, 2009, Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force members did a probation search on McKEE based on information they received from a confidential source. Agents found eight firearms in McKEE's bedroom and two firearms in his father's bedroom. There were a total of four rifles, six pistols, ammunition, and one tactical vest. One of the rifles was converted to be fully automatic.

McKEE was convicted in 2006 in Montana State Court of assault with a weapon and was thereby prohibited from possessing firearms.

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

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

 

 

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