Woman sentenced in SKC Housing Authority theft

MISSOULA — Leah Danielle Morton, a 32-year-old resident of Ronan, got five years probation for her guilty plea to theft from a Tribal organization during a federal court session in Missoula on Jan. 5. In addition, she must pay a special assessment of $100 and restitution, which will be determined at a later date.

According to a press release from United States Attorney’s Office, Morton neglected to report her household’s true income to the Salish Kootenai Housing Authority’s (SKHA) Tenant Based Assistance program (TBA), therefore earning $9,583 in housing assistance to which she was not entitled.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the “truth in sentencing” guidelines mandate that Morton will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, Morton does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for “good behavior.” However, this reduction will not exceed 15 percent of the overall sentence. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General’s Office.