Informational: Federal Court Arraignments
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 Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on Jan. 12 was:
Dwain Francis Balch, aka Waldo, 58, on charges of conspiracy to possess and distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Balch faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Balch was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI, Fort Peck Law Enforcement, Tri-Agency Drug Task Force and Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-01.
Appearing on Jan. 10 was:
Walter Louis Badroad Mount, 23, of Harlem, on charges of sexual abuse of a minor. If convicted of the most serious crime, Mount faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Mount was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-103.
Daniel Jacob Werk, 37, of Hays, on charges of sexual abuse of a minor. If convicted of the most serious crime, Werk faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Werk was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-108.
Casey Louis Ream, 36, of California, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Ream faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release on the drug crimes and a mandatory minimum five years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the crime of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Ream was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, Great Falls Police Department and Cascade County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-105.
Babi Alysia Nakai, 30, of Phoenix, Arizona, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted of the most serious crime, Nakai faces a mandatory minimum of five to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and four years of supervised release. Nakai was released pending further proceedings. The FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Great Falls Police Department and Cascade County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-89.
William Ronald Blackman, 31, of Browning, on charges of attempted sexual abuse and sexual abuse. If convicted of the most serious crime, Blackman faces life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Blackman was released pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-48.
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on Jan. 10 was:
Richard Lamar Rutledge, 49, of Culbertson, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Rutledge faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Rutledge was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 19-136.
Lisa Marie Sieler, 35, a transient, on charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted of the most serious crime, Sieler faces a maximum of 30 years in prison a $1 million fine and five years of supervised release on the bank fraud crime and a mandatory minimum two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release on the aggravated identity theft crime. Sieler was detained pending further proceedings. The Billings Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-151.
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto for an initial appearance on a criminal complaint on Jan. 12 was:
Kenton Alan Shaull, 59, of Auburn, Washington, on charges of attempted coercion and enticement. If convicted of the most serious crime, Shaull faces 10 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Shaull was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Missoula County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-05.
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.
