FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
ROBERT LEE WELCH 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 July 9, 2008, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, ROBERT LEE WELCH, a 26-year-old resident of Browning, pled guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Sentencing is set for October 2, 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 the morning of October 19, 2006, WELCH was driving a Chevy Tahoe SUV on Highway 2 near Browning. WELCH, and his female passenger, had been consuming vodka together that morning. As WELCH approached the intersection of Highway 2 and BIA Route 1, he crossed over the center-line and veered into the opposite lane and oncoming traffic. WELCH'S SUV struck the car of J. Stanley Bailey and Brenda Bailey, who were driving the opposite direction on Highway 2 on their way from East Glacier to Cut Bank. The area where the accident occurred is entirely within the exterior boundaries of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.
Law enforcement officers from the Montana Highway Patrol, Glacier County Sheriff's Office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and emergency and medical personnel responded to the scene of the accident. Officers noticed a strong odor of alcoholic beverage on WELCH'S breath and that his speech was "extremely slurred." WELCH exhibited physical indications of intoxication during administration of the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus sobriety test. Toxicology results from two blood draws indicated that WELCH'S blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was at least .20 grams of ethanol per 100 milliliters of blood, or higher.
WELCH later admitted to that he was driving intoxicated at the time of the accident. WELCH said that he consumed a pint of vodka the night before the accident and that he continued drinking into the morning. WELCH also stated that he has a memory blackout as to the accident itself, but he remembered driving drunk immediately prior to the accident.
The Baileys each suffered serious bodily injuries as a result of the collision. Brenda Bailey received 16 broken bones from the accident, including a broken pelvis. She was hospitalized for approximately six weeks. She suffered extreme physical pain as a result of her injuries. J. Stanley Bailey received eight broken ribs, two breaks in his nose, a broken sternum, a break in his left leg, a broken arm, and a shattered femur in his right leg. Medical personnel classified Bailey's injuries as serious bodily injury.
WELCH faces possible penalties of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, $30,000 restitution, and 3 years supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Hosley prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Montana Highway Patrol, Glacier County Sheriff's Office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Browning.
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A copy of the Offer of Proof can be obtained by contacting Sally Frank at (406) 247-4638.
