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Date: 10-29-2017
Case Style:
United States of America v. Jesus Deniz Mendoza
District of Montana Federal Courthouse - Billings, Montana
Case Number: 1:17-cr-00061-SPW
Judge: Susan Watters
Court: United States District Court for the District of Montana (Yennowstone County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: Jeffrey Sarnes
Defendant's Attorney: Robert Kelleher
Description: Billings, MT - Billings Man Sentenced to Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm
Terry Lee Feller, a 58 year-old resident of Billings was sentenced on October 25, 2017 to 33 months in prison followed by 3 years supervised release after pleading guilty to possessing a stolen firearm.
The case arose when Feller, a career thief with more than fifteen convictions dating back to 1983, was released from state prison in April 2015 and moved into a home in the 4200 block of Arden Ave. Shortly thereafter, homes in the neighborhood were burglarized. One the burglary victims confronted Feller’s landlord who told the victim that she had noticed Feller bringing several items into the home and she did not know where the items came from. The landlord allowed the neighbor/victim to search the home and she discovered several items of her missing property in a bedroom used by Feller. The neighbor/victim contacted Billings Police Department. When law enforcement arrived, they searched the home as well as a car that Feller was using. The search uncovered a stolen 9 millimeter pistol. Feller later admitted to law enforcement that he possessed the pistol and he knew it was stolen.
The case was investigated by the Billings Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement to identify those responsible for significant violent crime in Montana. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a recently reinvigorated Department of Justice program that has proven to be successful in reducing violent crime. The sentencing is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program.
Outcome: Defendant was sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
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