FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 25, 2008
ERIN PAUL RODRIGUE 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 Missoula on April 25, 2008, before U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, ERIN PAUL RODRIGUE, a 39-year-old resident of St. Regis and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty to being a felon-in-possession of a firearm. Sentencing is set for September 19, 2008. He is currently released on special conditions.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
RODRIGUE was convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and being a felon-in-possession of a firearm in Louisiana and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.
On January 10, 2007, a search warrant was executed on RODRIGUE'S camp trailer as a result of information that RODRIGUE possessed firearms. Only ammunition was located. Later, associates turned in 13 firearms possessed and owned by RODRIGUE that he had hid with them prior to the search warrant execution.
These associates would have testified that RODRIGUE possessed these rifles through Christmas 2006 and early January 2007. RODRIGUE gave the firearms to his associates because he was afraid certain people would tell law enforcement about his firearms possession.
RODRIGUE faces possible penalties of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette L. Stewart prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Mineral County Sheriff's Office, the Montana Fish and Game, 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.
