FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 14, 2008
DANIEL AMOS BRIDGES 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 March 14, 2008, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, DANIEL AMOS BRIDGES, a 30-year-old resident of Wolf Point, pled guilty to being a felon-in-possession of a firearm. Sentencing is set for July 7, 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 March 18, 2007, BRIDGES entered his father's residence in Wolf Point and waved a firearm in front of members of his family. BRIDGES was on probation for a 2006 felony forgery from the 15th Judicial District Court, located in Roosevelt County. The family said that he was not threatening them with the handgun, but was waving it around. Family members took the handgun from BRIDGES and hid it in the home.
Roosevelt County Sheriff's deputies responded to the scene and found BRIDGES at the home. BRIDGES' mother retrieved the gun and gave it to the officers. The gun was a Sig Sauer, 9mm pistol that had been stolen from the home of BRIDGES' brother-in-law, a reserve police officer for Poplar City.
When officers attempted to arrest BRIDGES, he got into a defensive stance. BRIDGES told officers he would knock them out if they attempted to arrest him. BRIDGES was handcuffed and placed into custody.
BRIDGES faces possible penalties of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Vince Carroll prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Roosevelt County Sheriff's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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A copy of the Offer of Proof can be obtained by contacting Sally Frank at (406) 247-4638.
