The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on March 26, 2012, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, PRESTON KEITH JACKSON, a 24-year-old resident of Wolf Point and an enrolled member of the Fort Peck Tribes, appeared for sentencing. JACKSON was sentenced to a term of:

Prison: 33 months

Special Assessment: $300

Supervised Release: 3 years

JACKSON was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to (3) counts of burglary.

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 January 5, 2011, a little after 3:00 a.m., police were on patrol in Wolf Point, which is within the exterior boundaries of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. An officer noticed a suspicious truck in an alley and he drove closer to inspect it. As he got closer, the truck drove away and soon after, a male jumped out of the truck while it was still in drive and started running away. The officer ran up to the truck and turned it off. A second officer then arrived and found a Montana identification card and tribal identification card for JACKSON in the alley by the truck.

The second officer recognized JACKSON as he ran from the truck as she pulled up behind the first officer. The second officer had spoken with JACKSON and his friend earlier in the night, and JACKSON was wearing a white sweatshirt both times. The officers found a portable radio, U-Haul truck key sets, handcuffs and duty belt items in the truck, which looked like it had been ransacked. After inquiring into the license plates on the truck, the officers found it belonged to another man. The man arrived on scene and said his truck was supposed to be at Triple D Detailing in Wolf Point.

The officers went to the business of Triple D Detailing and found the glass to the door was shattered. The owner was notified and he arrived at the business. Two U-Haul trucks were found to be missing. One truck was found on Highway 25 east of town, while the other truck was located behind the business of H&R Block.

JACKSON was interviewed regarding the events of January 5, 2011. He stated during the evening of January 4, 2011, he had been with a friend. They had gone to a house under renovation by the Fort Peck Housing Authority. No one currently lived in the house at the time due to the renovations. JACKSON removed a board that covered the door and went into the house. Inside, JACKSON and his friend drank beer and vandalized the house.

After vandalizing the house, JACKSON went to Arlo's Bar and the Water Hole Bar. He then went to Triple D Detailing where he broke open a window, crawled inside, and stole a handful of keys. JACKSON and his friend then got into separate U-Haul trucks and drove off. However, JACKSON got his truck stuck so his friend came and picked him up. The friend then got his truck stuck. The two went back to Triple D Detailing where they dumped out the garbage, took the garbage bag, and filled the bag with handcuffs and other items. JACKSON found the keys to a truck parked outside as well. He got in the truck and saw a police car following him. At that time he jumped out and fled. One of JACKSON's friends was interviewed and said he had been with JACKSON earlier in the night but had no involvement in the events that transpired. He did say, however, that JACKSON had told him he broke into a vacant house, and had stolen U-Haul trucks and a pickup truck.

On February 13, 2011, a deputy was dispatched to Arlo's Bar a little after 10:00 p.m. It was reported JACKSON had been urinating in the entryway to the bar and was wearing a pink set of handcuffs and could not get out of them. The deputy removed JACKSON from the premises and took off the handcuffs. After questioning JACKSON as to why he had the handcuffs, the deputy took the handcuffs and sent JACKSON away.

On February 14, 2011 at 8:30 a.m., the Wolf Point Police Chief received a report that Triple D Detailing had been burglarized. He found one of the windows broken out. Inside the store, $130 was missing from the till, and eight sets of U-Haul keys were missing from the counter drawer. Outside, the police chief found one truck had been driven into a nearby snow bank and was stuck. A cell phone accessory package from Triple D Detailing was found inside the truck, and the remaining U-Haul keys were found on the ground.

Meanwhile, JACKSON began selling sets of handcuffs. On February 15, 2011, JACKSON sold one set of pink handcuffs at the Lucky Lil's Casino. JACKSON sold another set of handcuffs at Albertson's on February 16, 2011.

On February 16, 2011, around 4:00 a.m., a deputy received a call from dispatch that a U-Haul truck was stuck in the ditch on Highway 2, approximately five miles east of Poplar. It was also reported that a male was walking along the road toward Poplar. The deputy identified JACKSON as the male walking along the road. JACKSON said he had not seen a U-Haul truck. JACKSON was placed in the patrol car and they went back to the stuck U-Haul truck. One set of foot prints was observed in the snow coming from the driver's side door. The Deputy saw that the shoe pattern in the snow matched the shoes that JACKSON was wearing.

An officer then called and said a U-Haul truck had been stolen from Triple D Detailing in Wolf Point. Officers went through the business and found the power line to the cash register had been cut and the register had been tossed by the door. Seven sets of U-Haul keys, motorcycle boots, and cash were missing.

On February 16, 2011 around 8:15 a.m., an employee from the State of Montana Child and Family Services called dispatch to report the business had been burglarized. Officers arrived and found there was broken glass in the entry way and various items had been stolen including dvds, digital cameras, case files, and a label maker. In addition, two golden dollar coins were taken from a desk. These coins were found on JACKSON during an inventory search at the jail. The rest of the items were recovered under the stairs at the VFW building nearby.

JACKSON was again interviewed and agreed to speak to police. He said on February 16, 2011 he decided to break into the Child and Family Services office. He used a rock to break the window in the door. JACKSON rummaged through the offices and desks and found coins, money, walkie talkies, cameras and case files pertaining to his family members. He then took the items to the VFW building.

JACKSON said he then went to the Triple D Detailing business. He entered the business through a window which was covered by a board, because it had previously been broken into. JACKSON took the cash register from the counter and pried it open. He found $45 and two quarters, and also took U-Haul trucks keys and boots. JACKSON got into a U-Haul trucks and took the back roads to Poplar. He said it got hot, he fell asleep, and drove into a ditch. He then started walking and got picked up by the officer.

In regard to the February 13 or 14, 2011 burglary of Triple D Detailing, JACKSON admitted that he had gone into the business by himself through the window. He took more than $100 from the cash register and also four sets of handcuffs. JACKSON said he had been walking with one set of pink handcuffs and decided to try them on. However, he dropped the handcuff key in the snow and couldn't get them off so the deputy had to help him.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that JACKSON will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, JACKSON 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 conducted by the Fort Peck Tribes Criminal Investigation Division.

 

 

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