Polson man in Libby jail awaiting evaluation

A Polson man arrested in August in the Troy area for posing as a federal marshal using a fake badge remains jailed in Libby awaiting a mental health evaluation nearly three months after changing his plea.

Pernell Dionne, 36, pleaded guilty to a single count of impersonating a public servant in Lincoln County District Court on Dec. 22. At the time, his attorney told the court he was hoping to arrange a mental health evaluation at the Montana State Hospital before a sentencing.

Dionne appeared back in court on March 14 from the Lincoln County Detention Center via video conference software for a status update. A representative from the state mental hospital told the court that the list to get into the facility was 56 individuals long and estimated Dionne’s wait at another four weeks.

Authorities with the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office arrested Dionne last summer after receiving a report of a person making inappropriate contact with several children around Libby Creek Bridge on U.S. Highway 2.

Dionne told Deputy Derek Breiland he believed he was a marshal because his grandfather served in the U.S. Army.

The Warm Springs facility came under scrutiny earlier this year after federal officials with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services slapped an “immediate jeopardy” label on the hospital.

According to MTPR, which obtained a copy of the federal report, inspectors discovered that one patient died after falling 13 times in a month, one resulting in serious injury. The report also deemed the facility’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts as subpar, leading to 90 patients sick with the illness and three deaths.