From the courts: District Court

A Harlem man received three years probation for his part in a large meth-selling operation about which he also divulged operational information to investigators.

Chaska N. Earthboy, born in 1987, received a three-year deferred imposition of sentence for the offenses of felony criminal possession with intent to distribute and felony use or possession of property subject to criminal forfeiture. He was also ordered to pay a $1,176 drug storage fine and waive any interest in the $5,351 seized as a result of a July 2, 2016 bust.

The sentence is part of a plea deal that dismissed a second count of criminal possession with intent to distribute, a misdemeanor charge of criminal possession of drug paraphernalia and a misdemeanor charge of obstructing a police officer.

If Earthboy abides by the conditions of his sentence, he can have the offenses struck from his record.

A Montana Highway patrolman noticed a woman behaving oddly when he walked into a gas station to buy food for his shift July 2, 2016. Her behavior led the trooper to suspect the woman may have been on methamphetamine.

The trooper followed the car in which the woman got into after leaving the gas station because the license plate was registered to someone whose license was revoked, the tint appeared darkened beyond the legal limit and the driver seemed to be driving “in such a way that it appeared to be avoiding him,” court charging documents say.

The trooper pulled the car over and immediately smelled alcohol inside it, which was coming from an alcoholic beverage in the center console.

The driver, Jacob R. Murie, did not have a license. The trooper remembered arresting Murie several months earlier and finding a bindle of methamphetamine on him after he got to jail.

In addition to the woman from the gas station, the other vehicle occupant was Earthboy, who first claimed his name was Colton Montez. The trooper suspected Montez was not Earthboy’s real name because it did not appear in any of his databases — there was no photo or licence or anything for such a person.

Murie had a taser and $500 cash in his pocket. He said he was a roofer but could not provide his employer’s name until the trooper indicated skepticism.

When asked if he had meth in the car, Murie said no but nodded his head yes. He denied the trooper permission to search the car because, he said, it wasn’t his car.

After calling the car owner’s probation officer and getting permission, a thorough search of the car was conducted by a Tri-Agency Safe Trails Task Force agent.

Among the items found was 30.9 grams of meth, $4,481 in cash, four cellular phones, a glass pipe with residue, two syringes, a digital scale with meth residue, brass knuckles, a taser, two pistols and a black bayonet encased.

Two Task Force agents met with Earthboy three days later at the Hill County Detention Center.

“Chaska (Earthboy) told agents he had knowledge of the whole network of methamphetamine distribution from Fort Belknap to Rocky Boy to Havre,” documents say.

Earthboy said Murie referred to the dope in the car as “white only” drugs because the people who sell that meth do not sell to Native Americans. Earthboy told agents Murie has a supplier in Great Falls named John, or also referred to as “the old man.” Earthboy said he would sell for Murie when Murie needed a lot of meth sold. Earthboy said he would get rid of about half an ounce of meth a day, about $1,000 to $1,500 a day, adding he had probably sold about half a pound of meth in under a year.

Murie is charged in District Court with felony criminal possession with intent to distribute, felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs, felony use or possession of property subject to criminal forfeiture and misdemeanor criminal possession of drug paraphernalia. He was not present at is arraignment Aug. 28 and has not entered a plea on those charges.

He is facing charges in federal court, as well, for his arraignment and has not entered a plea to the charges.

Murie is was charged in federal court on charges of kidnapping, aggravated sexual abuse and sexual abuse. He pleaded guilty in federal court in Great Falls Aug. 29, the day his arraignment in Havre was scheduled, to kidnapping and is scheduled for sentencing Jan. 9.