FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, November 26, 2007
LISA MARIE HIETT 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 November 26, 2007, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, LISA MARIE HIETT, a 22-year-old resident of Great Falls, appeared for sentencing. HIETT was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 12 months
- Special Assessment: $100
- Supervised Release: 2 years
HIETT was sentenced in connection with her guilty plea to making a false statement during a firearm transaction.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
On August 2, 2006, HIETT purchased two 9mm pistols from American Pawn in Great Falls for another individual.
Later on August 2, 2006, two male individuals and a female were arrested by the Nevada Highway Patrol on their way to California to sell firearms. Three (3) firearms and a small amount of cocaine were recovered. The firearms that were recovered from the vehicle included the firearms purchased by HIETT on August 2, 2006.
On September 26, 2006, HIETT was interviewed and stated that on August 2, 2006, she was hanging out with one of the male individuals when he asked if she would purchase a gun for him if he gave her the money. She admitted that she told him that she would.
HEITT and the male individual then went to American Pawn. Upon arriving at the store, HIETT stated that the male individual told the sales representative which pistols HIETT would like to purchase. According to HIETT, the sales representative then gave her a Firearms Transaction Record to fill out. The male individual gave the sales representative the money for the pistols, and the sales representative in turn gave the firearms directly to him; however, the sales representative gave the receipt for the firearms to HIETT. After purchasing the pistols, she and the male individual took the pistols back to her house.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that HIETT will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, HIETT 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Nevada Highway Patrol.
