Press Release
Informational: Federal Court arraignments
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Montana
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week 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 May 10 was:
Buddy Jonathan Shaw Jr., 49, of Belgrade, on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Shaw faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Shaw was detained pending further proceedings. The Bozeman Missouri River Drug Task Force – FBI, Bozeman Police Department, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Postal Service investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-17.
Appearing on May 13 and pleading not guilty was:
Zachary Christopher Hillis, 28, of Sand Springs, on charges of illegal reentry. If convicted of the most serious crime, Hillis faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release. Hillis was detained pending further proceedings. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-31.
Appearing on May 14 and pleading not guilty was:
Colton Thomas Jens, 38, of Billings, on charges of distribution of meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Jens faces a mandatory minimum five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and four years of supervised release. Jens was detained pending further proceedings. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. PACER case reference. 20-123.
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on May 11 was:
Ray Dean Bird, 42, of Starr School, on charges of aggravated sex abuse of a child, abusive sexual contact and other crimes. If convicted of the most serious crime, Bird faces life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Bird was released pending further proceedings. The FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-30.
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on May 12 was:
Tommy Plante, 32, of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and illegal entry into the United States. If convicted of the most serious crime, Plante faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Plante was detained pending further proceedings. The U.S. Border Patrol, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-22.
Appearing on May 14 and pleading not guilty was:
Brandie Rae Hulford, 42, of Bozeman, on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Hulford faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Hulford was released pending further proceedings. The Bozeman Missouri River Drug Task Force – FBI, Bozeman Police Department, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Postal Service investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-16.
Ciara Lee Ann Creason, 29, of Helena, on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Creason faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Creason was released pending further proceedings. The Bozeman Missouri River Drug Task Force – FBI, Bozeman Police Department, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Postal Service investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-15.
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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Contact
Clair Howard
Public Affairs Officer
406-247-4623
Updated May 14, 2021
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