Travis Patrick Zabroski Sentenced In U.S. District Court

The United States Attorney(s Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, on March 6, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters, TRAVIS PATRICK ZABROSKI, a 31 year-old resident of Billings, Montana, was sentenced to a term of:

Prison: 85 months

Special Assessment: $ 200

Restitution: N/A

Supervised Release: 5 years

In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan McCarthy, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

On January 15, 2013, officers with the Billings Police Department were investigating a robbery that occurred at 2150 Grand Avenue in Billings. After investigating the robbery, an officer went to the Holiday Station located at King Avenue and S. 20th Street W. to conduct a business check. Inside the store, the officer observed a white male, later identified as Travis Patrick Zabroski, who matched the description of the robbery suspect. The officer asked the defendant questions, and, at one point, the defendant told the officer that he was on probation for armed robbery.

Additional officers arrived at the scene. The officers contacted the defendant's probation officer and was given consent to search the defendant's vehicle.

During the search, an officer located a book safe underneath the driver's seat. Inside the book safe, the officer recovered various items including a baggie with a white crystalline substance and a loaded .357 Ruger pistol with the serial number filed off. The white crystalline substance was tested at the scene with a methamphetamine kit and the result was positive. The methamphetamine was then sent to the DEA lab for analysis, and the results indicated that the actual amount of methamphetamine was 41.8 grams.

Agents also obtained information from other sources that the defendant had possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it in the Billings area from October 1st of 2012 through January 15th of 2013.

The .357 Ruger pistol was examined by an ATF Special Agent, and it was determined that the firearm was not manufactured in the State of Montana. Therefore, it traveled in and affected interstate commerce.

In 2000, Zabroski was convicted of Armed Robbery in New Mexico, which is a felony crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Billings Police Department.