Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on October 26, 2009, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, WESLEY DEAN WELLS, a 31-year-old resident of Browning, appeared for sentencing. WELLS was sentenced to a term of:

• Prison: 36 months

• Special Assessment: $100

• Restitution: $742,592.06

• Supervised Release: 3 years

WELLS was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vince Carroll, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

On November 12, 2007, WELLS and the victim, E.C., were drinking. At approximately 7:00 p.m., WELLS was driving and E.C. was a passenger in the car. As they approached an intersection near Browning, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, WELLS failed to make the turn necessary to stay on the road, careened across the highway, drove through a ditch and a plank fence, and hit a tree. E.C. was severely injured in the wreck. As a result of the injuries sustained in the wreck, E.C. is paralyzed. At or near the time of the wreck, WELLS' BAC was 0.25gm/100ml.

E.C. was flown to the hospital in Kalispell. The treating physician indicated that, in his opinion, E.C.'s injuries constitute serious bodily injury because of the substantial risk of death, extreme physical pain, and protracted loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or mental faculty.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that WELLS will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, WELLS does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

 

 

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