Montana law enforcement team honored by Department of Justice for work in Fort Peck kidnapping case

WASHINGTON—Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday recognized a team of Montana law enforcement officers from multiple agencies for their work in the arrest and prosecution of a man convicted in the 2016 kidnapping and assault of a young girl on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. 

Sessions honored 15 individuals from federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement agencies, who were among 244 Department of Justice employees and 36 other individuals outside of the department, for their distinguished public service at the 66th Annual Attorney General’s Award Ceremony.

Montana U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme praised the work of multiple law enforcement agencies in the case. “This child is alive today because of the outstanding teamwork of many federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement officers,” Alme said. “They, together with the victim specialists and assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted the case, ensured this child received the care she needed and brought the offender to justice through their personal dedication to the people we serve,” he said.

The case began in February 2016 when a girl was abducted from a park in Wolf Point. A massive, coordinated search and investigation involving more than 120 personnel from federal, state, tribal and local agencies ultimately led to the victim being found alive two days later in a remote area near Wolf Point. The victim had been assaulted and left for dead in freezing winter conditions.

The investigation led to the suspect, John William Lieba II, who was 20 at the time, being charged in the case. A federal jury convicted Lieba of kidnapping, abuse and assault charges after deliberating 27 minutes.

In a sentencing memo filed in federal court, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Weldon said, “Lieba, through his actions, forced every parent in Montana to confront their worst nightmare.”

U.S. District Judge Brian Morris sentenced Lieba in July 2017 to 500 months (41.6 years) in prison and five years of supervised release.

Those honored for their work in the case include Ryan Weldon, U.S. Attorney’s Office; David Burns, Harry Murphy III, Craig Overby, Michelle Stewart, Kelli Burns, Julia Meredith, FBI; Matthew Kroeger, U.S. Customs & Border Protection; Chad Greenwood, Bureau of Indian Affairs; Ken Trottier, Lewis Matthews, Sean Red Boy, Angela Matthews, Fort Peck Tribes Criminal Investigations; Corey Reum, Patrick O’Connor, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office.

The Lieba case was investigated by the FBI, the Fort Peck Tribes’ Department of Law and Justice, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office and multiple other federal, state and local agencies.

In honoring the recipients of the Attorney General’s Award, Sessions said, “Service in the Department of Justice is more than a normal job; it is a calling to the highest standards of professionalism. That is true for all of the 115,000 Department of Justice employees. But it is especially true for these award winners.”

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