Sage Ferguson Sentenced in U.S. District Court

The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls on June 25, 2012, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, Sage Ferguson, a 18-year-old resident of Rocky Boy and an enrolled member of the Chippewa Cree Indian Tribe, appeared for sentencing. Ferguson was sentenced to a term of:

■Prison: 33 months

■Special assessment: $100

■Supervised release: three years

Ferguson was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

In an offer of proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danna R. Jackson, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

On August 28, 2011, while intoxicated, Ferguson crashed a truck within the exterior boundaries of the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation.

As a result of the crash, a passenger was injured. The passenger was diagnosed with a thoracic fracture and is paralyzed from the waist down.

A witness would have testified that in advance of the crash, Ferguson had been driving recklessly. Specifically, a witness stated that he was “fishtailing” and had been urged not to drive because of his intoxicated state.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the “truth in sentencing” guidelines mandate that Ferguson will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, Ferguson does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for “good behavior.” However, this reduction will not exceed 15 percent of the overall sentence.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Montana Highway Patrol, and Rocky Boy’s Law Enforcement.

Ronald Glenn Keiser, III Pleads Guilty in U.S. Federal Court

The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Butte on April 26, 2012 before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, Ronald Glenn Keiser, III, a 37-year-old resident of Wolf Point, pled guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter. Sentencing has been set for August 2, 2012. He is currently detained.

In an offer of proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

During the evening of Friday, August 19, 2011, a bar in Nashua hosted a bike rally. Activities at the bar throughout the evening included a disc jockey, a pole dancer, a beer drinking contest, and a hot legs contest. Keiser, an enrolled member of the Fort Peck Tribes, showed up at the bar that night. Witnesses saw Keiser staggering around the bar and drinking beer. Keiser left the bar by himself a little before 10:30 p.m. and drove away in his pickup truck.

At 11:23 p.m. on August 19, 2011, the first call to dispatch came in regarding a car crash on Highway 2 just east of Frazer, which is within the exterior boundaries of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. A witness drove up on scene and saw a head-on collision had recently occurred between a pickup truck and a suburban. Both cars were steaming. A man, later identified as Keiser, still sat in the driver’s seat of the truck, while the driver of the suburban had just gotten out and had lain on the ground. The witness saw two people trapped in the suburban. She checked on a male passenger seated in the front passenger seat. The man seemed to still be breathing. She then checked on the other male passenger seated in the right rear passenger seat directly behind the front passenger. He was dead. The witness immediately checked on the front passenger again, and he had stopped breathing.

Emergency crews arrived at 11:37 p.m. Keiser sat uninjured on the side of the road with his head in his hands. The grill guard from Keiser’s truck was embedded in the middle of the right passenger side of the suburban. The passengers in the suburban were confirmed deceased.

Keiser’s blood alcohol content shortly after the crash was a 0.182. He was the only person in his truck at the time of the crash. Police found an open can of beer in the driver’s door panel in Keiser’s truck. They also found two partially filled cases of beer behind the driver’s seat in the truck—one six-pack and one 18-pack.

Keiser faces possible penalties of eight years in prison on each count, a $250,000 fine, and three years’ supervised release.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fort Peck Tribes Criminal Investigation Division, and the Montana Highway Patrol.

Steven Dee Norred Pleads Guilty in U.S. Federal Court

The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Missoula, on March 21, 2012, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah C. Lynch, STEVEN DEE NORRED, a 56-year-old resident of Bigfork, pled guilty to five counts of bank robbery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. Sentencing has been set for June 28, 2012. He is currently detained.

In an offer of proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Racicot, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

On September 24, 2010, NORRED robbed the First Interstate Bank in Bigfork. He entered the bank and threw a camouflage backpack at the teller. He told the teller to fill the backpack with money, which turned out to be approximately $6,553. NORRED was wearing a black motorcycle helmet, a black jacket, goggles or glasses, and a dark-colored bandana around his neck. One witness described the robber as being between 5’5” and 5’7” tall and having a medium build. NORRED is approximately 5’4” to 5’5” tall.

On November 10, 2010, NORRED robbed Glacier Bank’s Lakeside branch. He entered the bank wearing gray sweatpants, a black coat, and an orange motorcycle helmet. He approached the counter and ordered the teller to place money into a camouflage backpack. After he received the money—approximately $46,000—he left the bank. One of the witnesses described the robber as being about 5’4” tall.

On April 5, 2011, NORRED robbed First Valley Bank’s Seeley Lake branch. He entered the bank wearing a black or green face mask, a black hat, black sunglasses, a black jacket, and black pants. He demanded that the bank employees place money on the counter and put approximately $7,687 into a black and blue backpack. He left the bank riding a blue Polaris ATV and heading north on Highway 83. The sunglasses that NORRED was believed to be wearing during the robbery were recovered by law enforcement near the spot where the ATV had been parked. The witnesses told law enforcement that the robber was between 5’3” and 5’7” tall.

On May 31, 2011, NORRED robbed Bitterroot Valley Bank’s St. Regis branch. He entered the bank wearing jeans and a black motorcycle helmet with a white head-covering under the helmet. The employees at the bank—who thought the robber was between 5’3” and 5’6” tall—complied with his commands and placed approximately $13,592 on the counter, which NORRED placed into a camouflage backpack. NORRED left the bank riding a small motorcycle.

On September 28, 2011, NORRED robbed Glacier Bank’s Lakeside branch for a second time. He entered the bank in the afternoon, lifted his shirt to reveal a firearm in a holster, and ordered one teller to put her cash drawer on the counter. He then requested that the window drawer and a second teller’s cash drawer be placed on the counter. As he removed the money from the second teller’s drawer, he asked a bank customer if the customer wanted some money. He placed the money—approximately $14,180—into a camouflage backpack and departed the bank, but was followed by the customer. NORRED was wearing black sweatpants over jeans, a black helmet with a clear visor, and a white head-covering under the helmet.

The bank customer who witnessed the robbery followed NORRED’s motorcycle for a distance, but eventually lost sight of him. Shortly thereafter, the customer observed a truck appear from the nearby woods and proceed north on Highway 93. The customer followed the truck and reported the license plate number. Law enforcement eventually pulled over the truck, which NORRED was driving, and seized bait bills from the robbery and a firearm in a holster, specifically a Sig Saur, SigPro SP2340, .40 caliber handgun. Glacier Bank and the other banks referenced above were all FDIC insured at the times of the robberies.

NORRED faces possible penalties of 25 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years’ supervised release on each count of robbery. In addition, NORRED faces the possibility of an additional mandatory minimum seven years in prison and could be sentenced to life, consecutive to any other sentences, for possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office, the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office, and the Montana Highway Patrol.

FBI Releases Name of Hit-and-Run Victim on Blackfeet Reservation

The FBI Salt Lake City is releasing the name of the victim of Sunday’s fatal hit-and-run accident on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana. At approximately 1:45 a.m. on September 25, 2011, 29-year old Eugene Jesse Stevens was hit and killed as he walked westbound on Highway 2. The accident occurred between Browning and East Glacier. At this time, it appears Mr. Stevens left his vehicle for an unknown reason and was hit as he was walking near the highway. The driver who hit him left the scene. The FBI issued a news release on September 25, 2011 requesting help from the public. Although the FBI did receive several tips, no arrests have been made. Again, if anyone has any information that may assist the FBI in solving this case, they are asked to contact the FBI office in Shelby, Montana at (406) 424-8411, or the main office in Salt Lake City, Utah at (801) 579-1400.

The FBI Salt Lake City Division is collaborating with the Glacier County Sheriff’s Office, Blackfeet Tribal Police, and the Montana Highway Patrol to solve this case.