FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 22, 2008
SHANE TRAVIS WARRANT 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 Missoula, on May 22, 2008, before U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, SHANE TRAVIS WARRANT, a 25-year-old resident of Libby/Hungry Horse, appeared for sentencing. WARRANT was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 27 months, concurrent with another sentence
- Special Assessment: $300
- Supervised Release: 3 years
WARRANT was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to being a felon-in-possession of a firearm or ammunition and being an unlawful user of a controlled substance 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 June 2, 2002, WARRANT was convicted of felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs in Flathead County and was under probationary supervision by the Montana Department of Corrections.
On February 3, 2007, WARRANT was a passenger in a vehicle stopped for speeding. During the traffic stop, WARRANT attempted to flee. When Mineral County Sheriff's deputies apprehended WARRANT, a 9mm pistol was recovered next to WARRANT on the ground. The deputies located a box of 9mm ammunition on WARRANT'S person. They also located a loaded 9mm clip in the vehicle where WARRANT had been sitting. The deputies then located $1,100 cash, nine syringes, 13 small plastic baggies used in drug distribution, and one baggie with methamphetamine residue. Both the money and larger baggie tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine when tested later at the Montana State Crime Lab.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that WARRANT will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, WARRANT 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 Paulette L. Stewart prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Mineral County Sheriff's Office 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."
