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A Havre woman was sentenced to six years with the state Department of Correction after she previously pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon.
Erica Ann Dion was sentenced Monday by state District Judge Kaydee Snipes Ruiz, credited with 89 days served and ordered to pay $1,768.93 in jury costs and $592.29 in witness fees for a trial that Snipes Ruiz declared a mistrial in October when Dion did not appear for the ongoing trial.
Snipes Ruiz waived other fees and surcharges.
A court document said Dion was charged after a woman told police she would not on May 11, 2019, let her into the property the woman was renting from Dion’s father, Scott Dion, at his direction.
She said Erica Dion came to the property May 13 and threatened her with a pistol for not letting her into the property.
The pistol was later determined to be a realistic-looking BB gun.
Scott Dion later was charged with tampering with a witness or informant and solicitation to compound a felony on allegations he tried to pressure the woman not to prosecute the case against his daughter.
The prosecution later came to an agreement with him to defer prosecution of those charges for three years.
Snipes Ruiz declared a trial against Erica Dion in October a mistrial when she did not appear for the ongoing proceedings after being warned she must attend.
Prosecution later dropped a misdemeanor charge of obstructing justice against Dion and made a plea agreement with her to plead guilty to the assault with a weapon charge.
While out on bail pending sentencing, Dion was charged three times with violating conditions of her release, including being at a casino which sold alcohol and for possessing methamphetamine and testing positive for using methamphetamine.
Snipes Ruiz said in her sentencing order that Dion’s actions indicated a long period of treatment and supervision both in state facilities and in the community is needed. She recommended DOC screen Dion and place her in a treatment facility.
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