GREAT FALLS, MT – A wave of federal arraignments hit Montana courts this month, revealing a disturbing mix of violent assaults and hard drug trafficking. Grimy Times has been following the cases as they unfold, digging past the boilerplate press releases to bring you the raw details of these alleged crimes.
On November 14th, Autumn Rose Rider, 28, of Browning, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and entered a not-guilty plea to charges of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. If convicted, Rider faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Investigators from the FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services spearheaded the investigation, and Rider remains detained pending further legal proceedings.
Just a week prior, on November 7th, Thomasine Tachelle Wahl Salway, 21, also of Browning, faced similar charges – assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Salway also pleaded not guilty and now awaits further proceedings while being held in custody. The FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services were again the lead agencies on this case, raising questions about a potential pattern of violence in the Browning area.
Moving to Billings, the federal crackdown extended to the opioid crisis. On November 14th, Aubreh Lakhaie Barnes, 34, and Aurelia Dawn Lang, 49, both of Billings, were arraigned on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. The stakes are significantly higher for these defendants, facing a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a staggering $5 million fine, and at least four years of supervised release if found guilty. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, and Billings Police Department collaborated on the investigation. Both Barnes and Lang are currently detained.
The fentanyl flow didn’t stop there. Jennifer Hall, 42, of Livingston, also appeared in Billings on November 14th, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth. Hall’s potential sentence is even more severe, with a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine, and at least five years of supervised release hanging in the balance. Investigators from the Missouri River High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Drug Enforcement Administration worked the case. Hall is also being held while the case progresses.
Finally, on November 7th, Eric Stephen Hadnott, 44, of Billings, found himself facing federal charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hadnott could face up to 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine, and three years of supervised release if convicted. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department conducted this investigation, and Hadnott is currently detained. These arraignments paint a grim picture of criminal activity in Montana, highlighting the ongoing struggle against violence and drug trafficking within the state.
Related Federal Cases
- Michael P. Ayala, Methamphetamine Distribution, MO 2023 · Louisiana
- Sabrena Lynn Morgan, Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy, Missouri · Missouri
- Rian Lee Kvernes, Methamphetamine Distribution, MT 2016 · Utah
- Neal A. Norles, Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy, MO 2019 · California
- Butte Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Massive Meth, Fentanyl Scheme · Utah
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Violent Crime|Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Press Release
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