FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, November 02, 2007
EARL DEAN STIPE 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 November 2, 2007, before Chief U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, EARL DEAN STIPE, a 55-year-old resident of Ronan, appeared for sentencing. STIPE was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 18 months
- Special Assessment: $100
- Supervised Release: 3 years
STIPE was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to being a felon-in-possession of firearms.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
On September 20, 2004, STIPE was convicted of issuing a bad check (common scheme) in the Montana Twentieth Judicial District Court in Lake County.
On February 14, 2006, representatives of the Lake County Sheriff's Office participated in a probation search of STIPE'S residence in St. Ignatius. The officers seized thirteen firearms during the search.
Two witnesses would have testified that they had observed STIPE in possession of firearms on several occasions.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that STIPE will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, STIPE 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 Timothy J. Racicot prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Lake County Sheriff's Office, Montana Probation and Parole, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
