Ethel Marie Brady Faces 10 Years in Involuntary Manslaughter Case

Involuntary manslaughter and assault charges have been filed against 38-year-old Ethel Marie Brady of Lame Deer, Montana, following her arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Cavan in Billings on January 30, 2017. Brady pleaded not guilty to the charges, which stem from a violent incident under federal jurisdiction on Native American lands. If convicted on the most serious count, she faces up to 10 years in federal prison, $250,000 in fines, and 3 years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, highlighting the federal government’s ongoing enforcement efforts in Indian Country, where violent crime rates continue to spike. Though details of the incident remain sealed, the charges suggest a fatal or near-fatal confrontation resulting in serious bodily injury. Brady’s case is listed under PACER reference 17-02 and remains under active judicial review.

Brady is not the only defendant facing serious federal charges in Montana this week. On January 25, 43-year-old Robert Wesley LaFountain of Lodge Grass pleaded not guilty to assault resulting in substantial bodily injury, assault of a dating partner by strangulation, and interstate domestic violence. Also facing up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines, LaFountain’s case was investigated by the FBI and reflects a disturbing pattern of domestic violence crossing tribal and state lines.

In Billings, 25-year-old Jesse James Meyers faces life behind bars after pleading not guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The DEA-led investigation uncovered quantities of the drug that prosecutors argue meet trafficking thresholds. Conviction could land Meyers with a $10,000,000 fine and 5 years of supervised release, per PACER case 17-06.

Elsewhere, Donald Theodore Fuller, 33, of Billings, faces life in prison on similar drug charges—possession and distribution of methamphetamine—plus an additional firearm count. Prosecutors allege he possessed a weapon in furtherance of drug trafficking, a charge that dramatically escalates sentencing exposure. The FBI and Eastern Montana HIDTA investigated the case, which carries a potential $5,000,000 fine.

Other arraignments include Sean Robert Robinson, 30, of Great Falls, charged with possession of a stolen firearm and failure to register a weapon; Gilbert Duane Bradley, 45, of Harlem, accused of assault with a dangerous weapon; and Sidney Charles DeCrane, 39, of Pryor, charged with abusive sexual contact with a minor, a crime that could result in lifetime supervised release. All pleaded not guilty. Investigations were conducted by federal and local agencies including the ATF, FBI, and tribal law enforcement, underscoring the layered jurisdictional challenges in rural and tribal regions of Montana.