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 June 28 was:
James Michael Gunderson, 58, 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, Gunderson faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Gunderson was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI Western Transnational Organized Crime Task Force and Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-44.
Leslee Marie Kinsey, 29, a transient, on charges of theft of mail. If convicted of the most serious crime, Kinsey faces a maximum five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Kinsey was detained pending further proceedings. The U.S. Postal Service investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-42.
Eric Antonio Espinoza, 30, a transient, 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, Espinoza faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Espinoza was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI Western Transnational Organized Crime Task Force and Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-43.
Appearing on June 29 and pleading not guilty was:
Jessy James Zachariah Harwood, 29, of Billings, on charges of felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Harwood faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Harwood was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-39.
Michael Andrew Cuellar, 30, a transient, on charges of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and theft of mail. If convicted of the most serious crime, Cuellar faces a maximum 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release. Cuellar was detained pending further proceedings. The U.S. Postal Service investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-42.
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on June 29 was:
William Daly Harrington, 42, of Helena, on charges of distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. If convicted of the most serious crime, Harrington faces a mandatory minimum five years to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Harrington was released pending further proceedings. The FBI, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-05.
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 J. Howard
Public Affairs Officer
406-247-4623
Updated July 1, 2021
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