Deer Lodge man sentenced to prison on illegal firearm possession

MISSOULA – A Deer Lodge man who possessed a firearm illegally was sentenced today to 21 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Christopher Allen Rochon, 42, pleaded guilty in April 2025 to prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.

The government alleged in court documents that on June 17, 2022, Rochon was convicted of criminal possession of dangerous drugs with intent to distribute in Powell County. He was sentenced to six years to the Montana Department of Corrections, with four of those years suspended.

On April 20, 2024, law enforcement officers stopped Rochon’s vehicle for a traffic infraction outside Anaconda. They conducted a probation search of the vehicle and found a backpack that contained a Hi-Point 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a 9mm box of ammunition with 45 rounds. Rochon admitted he had used the firearm previously.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Anaconda Police Department and State of Montana Probation and Parole Office.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

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