Informational: Federal Court Arraignment

The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Missoula, on April 18, 2013, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah C. Lynch, the following individual was arraigned:

JOSHUA TYLER APLAND, a 21-year-old resident of Minot, North Dakota, appeared on charges of: Count I: conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, Counts II & III: possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine, Count IV: possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and Count V: felon in possession of a firearm.

He is currently detained. If convicted of these charges, APLAND faces possible penalties of: Counts I, II & III: a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and could be sentenced to life and a $10,000,000 fine for each count; Count IV: a mandatory minimum of 5 years and could be sentenced to life and a $250,000 fine, to run consecutively to any other sentence; and Count V: 10 years and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph E. Thaggard and Zeno B. Baucus are the prosecutors for the United States. The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation.

The defendant pled not guilty to the charges.

The charge, an indictment, information or complaint, is merely an accusation and all persons named as defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A pre-trial conference and a trial date will be set and the United States will be required to prove the allegations set forth in the indictment beyond a reasonable doubt.