FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, September 20, 2007
MICHAEL BRANDON HOBACK SENTENCED IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on September 20, 2007, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, MICHAEL BRANDON HOBACK, a 22-year-old resident of Great Falls, appeared for sentencing. HOBACK was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 27 months, concurrent with another sentence
- Special Assessment: $100
- Supervised Release: 3 years
HOBACK was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to being a felon-in-possession of a firearm.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
On September 21, 2005, HOBACK was convicted and sentenced for committing the offense of felony theft in the State of Montana.
Some time before June 26, 2006, a friend of HOBACK'S bought a 10mm Glock from another individual and was subsequently informed by his father that he had to get rid of the gun because he wasn't old enough. HOBACK'S friend then gave the gun to HOBACK to keep for him.
On June 26, 2006, Great Falls Police Department officers responded to a complaint that a dog had been shot. In the course of their investigation, the officers learned that HOBACK had shot and killed his girlfriend's dog, a pit bull, in the living room of her home. Officers found a shell casing at the scene that had been fired by a 10 mm Glock.
When interviewed, HOBACK stated that he knew about the 10mm Glock and that he was holding it for a friend. HOBACK further stated that the Glock was inside the glovebox of his car. When officers searched his vehicle, they recovered a loaded pistol, namely a Glock, Model 20, 10mm semi-automatic pistol, serial number HYZ150, from the glovebox of HOBACK'S car.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that HOBACK will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, HOBACK does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette L. Stewart prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Great Falls Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This conviction is yet another important outcome from Project Safe Neighborhoods, a national priority of the United States Department of Justice. PSN is designed as a partnership between federal and local law enforcement to reduce violent crime and gun-related crime through the vigorous enforcement of the criminal provisions of the federal firearms.
