FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 24, 2008
CHRISTOPHER DANE NELSON 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 July 24, 2008, before U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, CHRISTOPHER DANE NELSON, a 22-year-old resident of Livingston, appeared for sentencing. NELSON was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 96 months and 1 day
- Special Assessment: $500
- Restitution: $831.94
- Supervised Release: 5 years
NELSON was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to theft from a federal firearms licensee, robbery affecting commerce, use of a firearm during a crime of violence and possession of a stolen firearm.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
On November 18, 2006, NELSON stole a Glock .40 caliber pistol from a pawn shop in Bozeman. NELSON walked into the pawn shop, took the .40 caliber pistol, and walked out without paying or attempting to pay for the firearm.
On November 27, 2006, NELSON committed an armed robbery of Casey's Corner Store in Bozeman. During the robbery, NELSON brandished a black pistol (the Glock .40 caliber pistol) at the store clerk.
On December 7, 2006, an associate, at NELSON'S instruction, robbed the Noble Finance location where an unknown amount of cash was taken. NELSON instructed his associate on how to commit the armed robbery. NELSON had chosen the business to rob and drove the get-away car after the robbery.
On January 31, 2007, Bozeman law enforcement located NELSON and the stolen Glock .40 caliber pistol in his possession. When questioned, NELSON admitted to stealing the Glock .40 caliber pistol and to obliterating its serial number.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that NELSON will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, NELSON 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 Bozeman Police Department 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."
