FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
STANLEY DAUENHAUER 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 Billings, on January 16, 2008, before Senior U.S. District Judge Jack D. Shanstrom, STANLEY DAUENHAUER, age 58, appeared for sentencing. DAUENHAUER was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 33 months, consecutive to a state sentence
- Special Assessment: $100
- Supervised Release: 3 years
DAUENHAUER was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to being a felon-in-possession of a firearm and ammunition.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
On September 13, 2005, DAUENHAUER was sentenced for a charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs and was on supervised probation with the Montana Department of Corrections.
During this time period, the City/County Special Investigations Unit obtained information that DAUENHAUER was selling drugs from his residence in Billings. When advised by law enforcement of this, DAUENHAUER'S supervising probation officer decided to conduct a home visit and probation search.
On December 21, 2005, officers with Montana Probation and Parole conducted a search of DAUENHAUER'S home in Billings. On the outside of the residence as they approached, the officers observed surveillance cameras. DAUENHAUER took a lengthy amount of time to answer the door when they knocked. When they did enter, they discovered two firearms in different places, approximately 16 grams of methamphetamine, approximately $3,500 in cash, about 130 grams of marijuana and numerous items of drug paraphernalia, including scales and baggies, commonly used in the packaging and preparation for sale of dangerous drugs.
The two firearms were identified as Hi-point Model C9 9mm semi-automatic pistols and both were loaded.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that DAUENHAUER will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, DAUENHAUER does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ed Zink prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the City/County Special Investigations Unit in Billings, the Montana Probation and Parole, 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."
