Ronan man sentenced on probation violation

RONAN — Alex Finley had his suspended sentence revoked due to a probation violation.

According to court documents on Aug. 2. the defendant was sentenced to the DOC for ten years with five years suspended for the offense of criminal mischief, a felony and for the offense of criminal endangerment, a felony.

On May 3, 2002 officers responded to Tribal Housing in Ronan. Officers saw a brown , four door motor vehicle had driven through the exterior wall of Charlie Gardipe’s apartment.

According to court documents half the vehicle was resting inside the apartment when the police arrived on the scene.

Witnesses said that there had been an argument involving Alex Finley, the defendant, who then left in his brown vehicle.

According to court documents Gardipe said the defendant returned a short time later driving the same brown car at a high rate of speed and tried to hit Gardipe.

According to court documents Gardipe jumped out of the way and the car crashed into the apartment. A woman inside the apartment was hurt when the vehicle hit the building. Witnesses saw the defendant get out of the driver’s side of the car and run away.  The defendant was caught on foot nearby.

According to court documents Finley consented to a BAC test and scored .188. The defendant stated that he “blacked out” and could not remember anything.

According to court documents the defendant failed to comply with a number of his probation agreements. These violations included; illegal drug use-marijuana, alcohol use, failure to pay restitution payment to victim and failure to enter and complete chemical dependency treatment as recommended.

It is because of these violations that the defendant’s ten year suspended sentence be revoked. The defendant  is sentenced to ten years with the Department of Corrections with five years suspended.