FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 28, 2008
DANA REDDING 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 February 28, 2008, before Chief U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, DANA REDDING, a 42-year-old resident of Black Lodge, appeared for sentencing. REDDING was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 96 months
- Special Assessment: $100
- Supervised Release: 3 years
REDDING 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 October 29, 2006, REDDING was convicted of a felony offense in Colorado that prohibited him from possessing a firearm.
On October 29, 2006, tribal police responded to a report that a truck was stuck in a ditch near Black Lodge on the Crow Indian Reservation. When they arrived at the location, they observed a white pickup high-centered in a ditch by a fence line. The police learned that REDDING had walked away from the truck to a nearby residence.
When police arrived at the residence, REDDING was standing outside of the residence and was very intoxicated. A friend of REDDING'S advised the officers that he would assist REDDING in retrieving his truck and he assured the officers that he would not allow REDDING to drive.
Approximately one hour later, the tribal police received a call that REDDING had a gun. The police responded to the Black Lodge area again, and saw REDDING standing outside with a rifle in his hands. REDDING'S back was to the police officers and he was yelling at some people at a nearby residence. He then put the rifle down at his feet. Officers retrieved the rifle and determined that the rifle was loaded.
REDDING told the officers that someone had tried to break out the windows of his truck, which was still stuck in the ditch, with a bat. The officers talked to the individuals who had the bat. They stated that REDDING came to their residence and tried to start a fight. They chased him off, but he came back with a gun and threatened to shoot one of the individuals, who then grabbed a bat for protection.
On October 30, 2006, REDDING was interviewed and admitted that he was in possession of his son's .22 caliber rifle the day before. He stated that he was feuding with his neighbors and that they had threatened to break the windows of his truck which was stuck in the ditch. His intent was to fire a warning shot to scare them off.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that REDDING will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, REDDING 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 Lori Harper Suek prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Bureau of Indian Affairs 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."
