BILLINGS, MT – A trio of Montanans faced federal charges this week, appearing before U.S. Magistrate judges in Billings and Great Falls. The cases, ranging from financial schemes to illegal firearms, highlight the ongoing battle against crime in Big Sky Country.
Nicole Irene Corbin, 32, of Billings, pleaded not guilty January 19th to charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Prosecutors allege Corbin engaged in a scheme to defraud financial institutions. If convicted of the most serious charge, she faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, and five years of supervised release. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory minimum of two years consecutive to any other sentence, plus a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release. Judge Timothy J. Cavan ordered Corbin detained pending further court proceedings. The Billings Police Department spearheaded the investigation.
In Great Falls, Katie Elizabeth Bowlds, 39, of Helena, entered a not guilty plea January 17th on a charge of possession of stolen mail. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case, alleging Bowlds knowingly possessed mail taken from the postal service. A conviction could bring up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Bowlds was released pending further proceedings.
Also appearing in Great Falls was Brandon Wade Kurns, 28, of Helena, charged with being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Kurns, who is not legally allowed to possess a weapon, faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release if convicted. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), along with Montana Probation & Parole, conducted the investigation. Kurns was detained pending further proceedings.
These cases are still in their early stages, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The public can monitor the progress of these and other federal cases through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system, available at http://www.pacer.gov/register.html and https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl, respectively.
Grimy Times will continue to follow these cases and provide updates as they become available. Case references are: 22-151 (Corbin), 22-10 (Bowlds), and 23-01 (Kurns). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana, led by Jesse Laslovich, is prosecuting the cases.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Weapons
- Source: Official Press Release
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