FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 12, 2008
JAMES DOUGLAS MURRAY 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 Great Falls, on May 12, 2008, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, JAMES DOUGLAS MURRAY, a 40-year-old resident of Edmonton, Canada, appeared for sentencing. MURRAY was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 12 months
- Special Assessment: $100
- Supervised Release: 2 years
MURRAY was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to making false statements.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
On the afternoon of December 27, 2007, MURRAY arrived at the Sweetgrass Port of Entry for inspection for entry into the United States. MURRAY was traveling with a woman and they were purportedly traveling to Great Falls. MURRAY'S name and identifying information were entered into a security computer system, resulting in a positive hit. Both MURRAY and the female companion were referred for secondary inspection.
MURRAY and the female companion completed baggage declaration and immigration declaration forms in writing. MURRAY indicated he was a citizen of Canada and indicated that he had never been deported. However, he did indicate that he had been arrested, fingerprinted, and/or charged with a crime before. MURRAY explained his affirmative answers in writing by stating that he had been, "Arrested served time for break and enter released on parole. Parole expired about 9 years. One charge, B & E in South Carolina 14 years ago."
A Canadian criminal records check revealed MURRAY had 31 convictions for crimes classifiable as crimes involving morale turpitude, spanning years 1984 to 1994. A criminal record in the United States was also found and revealed convictions in South Carolina for burglary, a 3rd degree felony, and grand larceny.
An analysis of MURRAY'S fingerprints revealed that he had been deported from the United States on April 14, 1994, through Atlanta, Georgia.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that MURRAY will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, MURRAY 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 Elizabeth A. Horsman prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Port of Sweetgrass.
