FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
MARCUS JAMES LAMERE PLEADS GUILTY IN U.S. FEDERAL COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Great Falls on November 21, 2007, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, MARCUS JAMES LAMERE, a 25-year-old resident of Browning, pled guilty to distribution of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a public school. Sentencing is set for February 28, 2008. He is currently detained.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
On February 3, 2006, Danelle Calf Boss Ribs was found unconscious in her home in Browning. She was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead by medical personnel. It was determined that she had died of an overdose of methadone.
A Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) special agent responded to the hospital. At the hospital, the agent interviewed LAMERE. LAMERE was Calf Boss Rib's boyfriend and resided with her at the time of the death. LAMERE informed the agent that Calf Boss Ribs was addicted to pills, and the drugs which killed her came from a third party.
Over the ensuing two weeks, the agent interviewed other witnesses. Based on those interviews, the agent came to believe that LAMERE had distributed some methadone to Calf Boss Ribs prior to her death, though the agent did not believe he had necessarily distributed the dose of drugs which killed her.
On February 14, 2006, the agent contacted LAMERE and asked him to come to her office for an additional interview. At approximately 2:30 p.m., on February 14, 2006, LAMERE went to her office. Another BIA agent and two other law enforcement officers were also present.
During the course of the aforementioned interview, LAMERE stated that he was present when Calf Boss Ribs purchased methadone from another individual the day before her death.
On February 16, 2006, the agent again contacted LAMERE and he went to her office. The agent and other law enforcement officers were also present during this interview. During the course of the interview, LAMERE admitted that he had distributed two methadone pills to Calf Boss Ribs early on the afternoon of February 2, 2006, the day which last preceded her death.
LAMERE admitted that he distributed the drugs to her while she was working at the Head Start School in Browning.
LAMERE stated that at approximately 5:00 p.m. on February 2, 2006, he was present when Calf Boss Ribs directly purchased five more methadone from the person from whom he had received the methadone earlier in the day and which he distributed to Calf Boss Ribs. He stated that Calf Boss Ribs consumed three of those pills.
LAMERE stated that later on the evening of February 2, 2006, Calf Boss Ribs left their residence, telling him that she was going to purchase more methadone pills from the source. LAMERE stated that Calf Boss Ribs returned to the residence about 45 minutes later, stating that she and the source had consumed some more methadone.
LAMERE stated that he and Calf Boss Ribs went to bed about midnight. LAMERE stated that Calf Boss Ribs woke him around 3:23 a.m., when she went to the bathroom to consume more methadone. LAMERE stated that he found that Calf Boss Ribs was dead at approximately 6:30 a.m. on February 3, 2006.
LAMERE faces possible penalties of a mandatory minimum of 1 year in prison and could be sentenced to the maximum of 40 years in prison, a $2,000,000 fine and 6 years supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph E. Thaggard prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
# # # #
A copy of the Offer of Proof can be obtained by contacting Sally Frank at (406) 247-4638.
