Crime Wave Hits Fort Belknap Indian Reservation
A disturbing incident of assault and attempted theft shook the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation when Dustin Alan Robbins, 38, and Nicole Lynn Hicks, 37, targeted the Red Paint Creek Trading Post in Lodge Pole.
On November 1, 2021, Hicks, a transient, entered the store without paying for a 30-pack of beer. A store employee, an Indian person, followed her outside, and Hicks discarded the beer as she attempted to flee through a fence. The employee retrieved the beer.
However, the situation took a violent turn when Robbins, also a transient, assaulted the employee and threatened to burn down the store. The store manager, another Indian person, intervened, yelling that she had called the police and picked up a large rock to defend the employee. Robbins stopped the assault and fled the scene with Hicks.
As they attempted to leave the area, Hicks continued to scream, and Robbins yelled threats, including claims of being affiliated with the mafia and vowing to burn down the store. Tribal police eventually located the pair at a home on the reservation, despite their prior exclusion, and removed them from the reservation.
Dustin Alan Robbins and Nicole Lynn Hicks, both non-Indian transients, pleaded guilty to intimidation charges in August 2023. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided over the sentencing.
Robbins received a one-year prison sentence, followed by two years of supervised release. Hicks was sentenced to time served of 262 days, with an additional two years of supervised release. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda L. Myers prosecuted the case, with the FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement conducting the investigation.
The disturbing incident serves as a reminder of the importance of community safety and the need for swift justice. In this case, the perpetrators have faced the consequences of their actions, and the community can rest easier knowing that justice has been served.
GREAT FALLS, MT – Dustin Alan Robbins, 38, and Nicole Lynn Hicks, 37, have been sentenced for intimidation charges after a violent incident at the Red Paint Creek Trading Post on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation.
According to the U.S. Attorney, Dustin Alan Robbins and Nicole Lynn Hicks pleaded guilty to intimidation in August 2023 and were subsequently sentenced.
The incident occurred on November 1, 2021, when Hicks, a transient, entered the store without paying for a 30-pack of beer. A store employee, an Indian person, followed her outside, and Hicks discarded the beer as she attempted to flee through a fence.
The store manager, another Indian person, intervened, yelling that she had called the police and picked up a large rock to defend the employee. Robbins stopped the assault and fled the scene with Hicks.
As they attempted to leave the area, Hicks continued to scream, and Robbins yelled threats, including claims of being affiliated with the mafia and vowing to burn down the store.
Tribal police eventually located the pair at a home on the reservation, despite their prior exclusion, and removed them from the reservation.
Dustin Alan Robbins and Nicole Lynn Hicks, both non-Indian transients, pleaded guilty to intimidation charges in August 2023.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided over the sentencing.
Robbins received a one-year prison sentence, followed by two years of supervised release.
Hicks was sentenced to time served of 262 days, with an additional two years of supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda L. Myers prosecuted the case, with the FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement conducting the investigation.
The disturbing incident serves as a reminder of the importance of community safety and the need for swift justice.
In this case, the perpetrators have faced the consequences of their actions, and the community can rest easier knowing that justice has been served.
Dustin Alan Robbins and Nicole Lynn Hicks are scheduled to begin their supervised release in 2024.
GREAT FALLS, MT – Dustin Alan Robbins and Nicole Lynn Hicks, 37, have been sentenced for intimidation charges after a violent incident at the Red Paint Creek Trading Post on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation.
Key Facts
- State: Montana
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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