⏱ 2 min read
Matthew David Slemmer, a 41-year-old Billings man, was involved in a road rage incident on January 17, 2025, where he pulled a gun on another individual after an exchange in traffic. The incident occurred in a parking lot, where Slemmer brandished a firearm before leaving the scene. He returned to the parking lot shortly after law enforcement arrived and initially denied brandishing a firearm but admitted to having a gun in his car.
Slemmer’s troubles began almost a year earlier, on March 5, 2024, when a hearing was held on a petition for a Temporary Order of Protection against him. The order was made permanent on April 1, 2024, and prohibited Slemmer from possessing firearms, threatening or committing acts of violence, and harassing or communicating with the petitioner, with whom he had a child and an ongoing intimate relationship.
During the investigation, Slemmer provided consent to search his vehicle, and law enforcement discovered a Hi-Point Firearms, Model C9, 9mm semi-automatic pistol exactly where he said it would be located. Slemmer pleaded guilty in October 2025 to one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus, and the investigation was conducted by the ATF and the Billings Police Department. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided over the case.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Violent Crime
- Defendant: Montana
- Location: MT
- Source: DOJ Press Release
