Billings Felon Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Possession of Firearm
GREAT FALLS — A Billings felon who admitted to illegal possession of a firearm after his arrest in Poplar while absconding from Billings, was sentenced today to 38 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Curtis Jeffrey Montclair, 38, of Poplar and Billings, pleaded guilty in May to prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in June 2020, Montclair, a convicted felon on state absconder status from Billings, possessed a 9mm pistol in Poplar. On June 29, 2020, Fort Peck tribal police responded to a report of a man who had discharged a firearm. Officers located Montclair, who was walking with three females. Officers asked to talk to Montclair, who then fled on foot. During the foot chase, Montclair took out a firearm and a bag and dropped them. The officer caught up to Montclair and used his taser to stop him. The officer recovered the handgun. Montclair admitted he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms and that he had absconded from state supervision. In 2018, Montclair was convicted and sentenced on three separate felony drug possession cases in Yellowstone County.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Fort Peck Police Department and Montana Probation and Parole.
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.
