District Court Report

Wednesday, Oct. 23

- Lorena Ann Couture received a three-year sentence to the Montana Department of Corrections and is to be evaluated for chemical dependency and treatment on meth-related charges.

- Kenneth Charles Gieber pleaded guilty to felony burglary charges last August, after a string of mini-storage thefts, including a large amount of gold coins, and selling around $20,000 worth of the coins. Police have been unable to recover the remainder at sites Gieber described. Recently discovered phone recordings made when Gieber was in jail in Idaho on other charges may indicate he spoke with a partner in the theft, and the coins may have been moved prior to the police searches.

On the burglary charge, Gieber received a 20-year sentence with 16 suspended and credit for 159 days served, to be served consecutively after an Idaho sentence he is currently serving. He is to undertake a payment plan upon parole for $263,28.97 in restitution. On drug charges, he received a concurrent two years of drug treatment with DOC.

- Mariah Danielle Barber was given a three-year commitment to DOC for dependency treatment on multiple drug and DUI charges.

- Justice Raven Nicolai pleaded guilty in September to felony aggravated assault on a fellow jail inmate. He received an eight-year commitment to DOC, with four years suspended and credit for 128 days, to be served consecutively after other sentences he is currently serving. He was ordered to pay $8,333.04 restitution. Nicolai apologized to the victim and told of his intent to work to get his anger under control.

- In recognition of positive steps being made to address addiction and related problems by participating in Drug Court, Leigh Ann Michel received a two-year commitment to DOC, all suspended, based on continued success in the treatment program related to a fourth DUI. In addition, Michel received a mandatory $5,000 fine plus $800 public defender fee.