The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, on August 3, 2011, before Senior U.S. District Judge Jack D. Shanstrom, CLEMENT P. JANIS, a 34-year-old resident of Billings, appeared for sentencing. JANIS was sentenced to a term of:

Prison: 71 months

Special Assessment: $100

Supervised Release: 3 years

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

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

On October 21, 2009, the manager of motel in Billings called police with a complaint about noise and activity in one of the rooms. Because the report suggested possible drug activity, detectives with the City-County Special Investigation Unit in Billings responded to the motel along with uniformed officers and they made contact with a group of people outside. JANIS fled and was tackled by an officer. A frisk revealed that JANIS had a gun and baggy containing methamphetamine in a pocket. In another pocket, an officer located a silver scale.

JANIS is a multi-convicted felon, with both federal and state convictions that prohibit him from lawfully possessing a firearm. At the time, JANIS was a fugitive on parole out of Colorado.

The recovered firearm was identified as a Hi-Point CF380, .380 semi-automatic pistol. The firearm was loaded.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that JANIS will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, JANIS 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 City-County Special Investigation Unit in Billings and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

 

 

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