Information: Federal Court Arraignments

The United States Attorney’s Office announced that those persons listed below were arraigned before the U.S. Magistrate and the indictments handed down by the Grand Jury unsealed.

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Lynch in Missoula on July 14, 2015, and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:

• SHAWNSTON BEAUDOIN, a 31-year-old resident of Kennesaw, Georgia, appeared on charges of conspiracy to advertise child pornography.  If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, BEAUDOIN faces 30 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and lifetime supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations.  PACER Case Reference.  14-27

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Johnston in Great Falls on July 10, 2015, and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:

• DENNIS PEIKER, a 61-year-old resident of Lincoln, appeared on charges of manufacture of marijuana.  If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, PEIKER faces 40 years in prison, $2,000,000 in fines and 4 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Missouri River Drug Task Force and the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office.  PACER Case Reference.  15-09

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Ostby in Billings on July 8, 2015, and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:

• ALEXANDER CAMPOS, a 33-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm.  If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, CAMPOS faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  PACER Case Reference.  14-87

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Ostby in Billings on July 7, 2015, and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:

• TIMOTHY JAMES ANDERSON, a 31-year-old resident of Shepherd, appeared on charges of felon in possession of a firearm.  If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, ANDERSON faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Billings Police Department and Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office.  PACER Case Reference.  14-103

• MERRILL CLARK GARDNER, a 61-year-old resident of Fishtail, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, GARDNER faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.  PACER Case Reference.  15-73

• GARY ALLEN OSTERHOUT, a 60-year-old resident of Toston, appeared on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and distribution of methamphetamine.  If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, OSTERHOUT faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  PACER Case Reference.  15-29

• WILJO CLEVE SPANG, a 23-year-old resident of Lame Deer, appeared on charges of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, SPANG faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release.  The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  PACER Case Reference.  15-69

If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system so that you stay current and not miss any important developments in the case.

To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.