Informational: Federal Court arraignments

The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared recently before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:

Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on April 8 was:

Wesley Dean Merrill, 40, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Merrill faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Merrill was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-7.

Joshua Daniel Kaupang, 38, of Great Falls, on charges of receipt of child pornography and access with intent to view child pornography. If convicted of the most serious crime, Kaupang faces five years to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Kaupang was detained pending further proceedings. The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the case. PACER case reference. 20-2.

Pleading not guilty on April 6 was:

Amber Marie Bruse, 39, unknown address, on charges of distribution of meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Bruse faces a mandatory minimum five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and four years of supervised release. Burse was detained pending further proceedings. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. PACER case reference. 20-123.

Pleading not guilty on April 5 was:

Lawrence Howard Kahle, 54, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted of the most serious crime, Kahle faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the fraud counts and a consecutive two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release on the aggravated identity theft counts. Kahle was detained pending further proceedings. The Billings Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-19.

Pleading not guilty on March 29 was:

Kyong Cha Roberts, 68, of Billings, on charges of coercion and enticement. If convicted of the most serious crime, Roberts faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Roberts was released pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-17.

Pleading not guilty on March 26 was:

Peter Margiotta, 63, of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on charges of failure to surrender for service of sentence. If convicted of the most serious crime, Margiotta faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Margiotta was detained pending further proceedings. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation investigated the case.  PACER case reference. 21-21.

Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on April 6 was:

John Charles Stowers, 57, of Great Falls, on charges of unlawful transfer of National Firearms Act firearms. If convicted of the most serious crime, Stowers faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $10,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Stowers was released pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-14.

David Eugene Wing, 43, of Heart Butte, on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. If convicted of the most serious crime, Wing faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the assault counts and a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the firearms counts. Wing was released pending further proceedings. The FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Fort Belknap Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-16.

Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on April 8 was:

David Vincent Viers, 58, of Silver Star, on charges of possession with intent to distribute meth and distribution of meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Viers faces a mandatory minimum five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and four years to life of supervised release. Viers was released pending further proceedings. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Butte Silver Bow law enforcement investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-11.

Pleading not guilty on March 30 was:

Steven Douglas Shipe, 52, of Butte, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute meth and distribution of meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Shipe faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Shipe was detained pending further proceedings. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Butte Silver Bow Law Enforcement Agency investigated the case.  PACER case reference. 21-12.

Charles David Clement, 34, of Butte, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Clement faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Clement was detained pending further proceedings. Montana’s Division of Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Butte Silver Bow Law Enforcement Agency investigated the case.  PACER case reference. 21-12.

The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.

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