FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
MARTIN JAY HOPE FOUND GUILTY IN U.S. FEDERAL COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that on May 5, 2008, in Helena, after a 2-day federal district court trial before Senior U.S. District Judge Charles C. Lovell, MARTIN JAY HOPE, a 47-year-old resident of Great Falls, was found guilty of being an armed career criminal/felon-in-possession of a firearm. Sentencing is set for September 18, 2008. HOPE is currently detained.
HOPE faces possible penalties of a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 5 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 Great Falls Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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