Poplar felon admits possessing ammunition after shootout on Fort Peck Indian Reservation

GREAT FALLS — A Poplar man with a felony conviction for murder admitted today to illegally possessing ammunition after a shootout on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Buddy Gene Walking Eagle, 38, pleaded guilty to prohibited person in possession of ammunition. Walking Eagle faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The court set sentencing for Sept. 13. Walking Eagle was released pending further proceedings.

In court documents filed by the government, on March 16, 2020, Walking Eagle was on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation when a shootout occurred. Law enforcement recovered .40-caliber shells that belonged to Walking Eagle. Walking Eagle was prohibited from possessing the ammunition because he was previously convicted of murder in 2004 in Colorado.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wendy A. Johnson and Ryan G. Weldon are prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Fort Peck Law Enforcement Services and Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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