Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Missoula on November 24, 2009, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah C. Lynch, SKYE BRUNS, a 23-year-old resident of Cody, Wyoming, pled guilty to robbery affecting commerce. Sentencing is set for February 25, 2010. She is currently released on special conditions.

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

On September 3, 2009, a Missoula County Sheriff's deputy observed a white pickup truck sideswipe a blue pickup truck. Both vehicles continued to travel down the road followed by the deputy who activated his top lights and began to pursue. After a few turns on side streets, the deputy saw that the white truck had rolled over onto its top and that the blue truck had crashed through the fence of a house.

The deputy observed a tall male in a blue shirt yelling at another male (hereinafter "W1"). King observed another male climbing out of the driver's side door of the white truck. The deputy also saw a female walking away from the crash who was later apprehended by law enforcement in a nearby alleyway and identified as BRUNS.

Another deputy arrived on scene and W1 blurted out, "There's five pounds of pot and $12,000 in that truck." W1 pointed to a blue backpack that was at the back end of the rolled truck and said that it belonged to him. W1 said that the five pounds of marijuana and cash were in the backpack. W1 went on to explain that he was a drug dealer and that the two male individuals and BRUNS had just tried to "rip" him. W1 said that he was chasing them but they wouldn't stop so he purposely crashed into them.

At the accident location, several backpacks and packs were lying on the ground and partially in the back area of the overturned pickup truck. The two male individuals and BRUNS separately denied owning the blue backpack identified by W1 as the backpack stolen from him and which was later found to contain approximately 5 pounds of marijuana and $12,480.

W1 stated he had made arrangements to sell 10 pounds of marijuana. During the course of the sale with the two male individuals and BRUN in a motel room, one of the males pulled a handgun on W1 and the other male took the backpack and he and BRUNS then left the room. After a few minutes, the male with the gun also left the motel. W1 looked out the window and saw the male with the gun get into the passenger side door of the white pickup truck. The other male was in the driver's seat and BRUNS was in the bed of the truck, which had a canopy top.

W1 sprinted to his blue truck and began to pursue the white truck. W1 got behind the white truck and started "tapping his bumper." W1 eventually hit the side of the white truck causing it to roll.

When the backpacks were searched, approximately five pounds of marijuana, $12,480 U.S. currency, and miscellaneous paperwork in W1's name inside the backpack identified by W1 as the one that was stolen from him at gunpoint. Inside a second pack, paperwork belonging to one of the male individuals and a Smith and Wesson model 40VE handgun with a loaded magazine were recovered.

BRUNS faces possible penalties of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 5 years supervised release.

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

A copy of the Offer of Proof can be obtained by contacting Sally Frank at (406) 247-4638.

 

 

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