The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Missoula, on October 6, 2011, before U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, PAUL ANTHONY RANDLEAS, a 42-year-old resident of Idaho, formerly of Missoula, appeared for sentencing. RANDLEAS was sentenced to a term of:

Probation: 5 years, with 3 months home arrest with electronic monitoring

Special Assessment: $100

RANDLEAS 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 Paulette L. Stewart, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

On January 30, 2006, RANDLEAS was convicted of misprison of a felony in the District of Oregon and was thereby prohibited from possessing firearms.

On June 30, 2010, in Missoula, RANDLEAS, was in possession of a Ruger 9mm pistol and attempted to load it while having an argument with his grown daughter. RANDLEAS' daughter stated that her father held a nickel-plated pistol during their argument and that she kept him from loading it. Before getting the gun, RANDLEAS strangled her in her bedroom. She was able to get away from RANDLEAS and left his Missoula residence in her car.

RANDLEAS was arrested for partner/family member assault. Officers returned to the RANDLEAS residence and recovered the nickel-plated pistol described by RANDLEAS' daughter. The pistol had one round in the magazine and that round was not loaded in the chamber. A black pellet gun was also seized.

A friend of RANDLEAS from Idaho advised law enforcement that he may have heard RANDLEAS's wife say something about a "gun" during the argument between RANDLEAS and his daughter. The friend then described three other firearms that he had seen RANDLEAS possess: a .45 caliber all black gun, a .44 silver gun with a black handle, and a 7mm rifle with a broken, brown stock.

Another friend of RANDLEAS provided law enforcement with a Hi-Point .45 caliber pistol that the friend took from RANDLEAS around the beginning of October 2010. The friend was concerned that RANDLEAS would use the pistol to harm himself.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that RANDLEAS will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, RANDLEAS 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Missoula Police Department.

 

 

Return to Top