FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
JOE TRAVIS GRIFFITH 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 Missoula, on October 16, 2007, before Judge William F. Downes, Chief Judge for the District of Wyoming, who was presiding for U.S. District Court Judge Donald W. Molloy, JOE TRAVIS GRIFFITH, a 38-year-old resident of Bozeman and Butte, appeared for sentencing. GRIFFITH was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 37 months
- Special Assessment: $100
- Supervised Release: 3 years
GRIFFITH 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 January 20, 2006, GRIFFITH was convicted of three counts of felony criminal distribution of dangerous drugs in the Montana Second Judicial District in Silver Bow County. One of the conditions of his probation and parole was that he could not legally possess firearms.
On July 21, 2006, two members of the Missouri River Drug Task Force arrested GRIFFITH for an outstanding arrest warrant for absconding from his probation. During a search incident to the arrest, the officers located a methamphetamine pipe and a large amount of cash on GRIFFITH. The officers also located a Ruger .40 caliber pistol under the back left seat during a subsequent search of GRIFFITH'S vehicle.
When interviewed later, GRIFFITH admitted to knowledge and possession of the pistol. GRIFFITH stated that he placed the handgun into his vehicle a month or two before his arrest. He further stated that the handgun belongs to a friend named "Dustin."
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that GRIFFITH will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, GRIFFITH 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 Missouri River Drug Task Force 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 laws. In Montana, the effort under PSN is called "Catch and No Release."
