Sentence violations land Polson man in prison

A Polson man was committed in Polson District Court May 29 to the Montana Department of Corrections for 10 years with five years suspended after repeatedly violating conditions of a suspended sentence.

Matthew Christian Duncan, 29, had been convicted of burglary and theft for breaking into an automated teller Jan. 5, 2023, at the Finley Point Grill. He was ordered to pay restitution of $33,626.88.

His co-defendant in that case, Michael Lee Simmons, 37, received a 10-year suspended sentence and was ordered to pay restitution of $38,985.88. Simmons was also sentenced on a second burglary not involving Duncan.

Duncan has also been plagued with an apparent drug addiction that has led to several drug charges and a forgery charge. In addition to the 10-year sentence with the DOC, Judge Molly Owen gave Duncan another four years for a separate drug charge and a six-month suspended sentence on a forgery conviction.

The forgery conviction stemmed from a $300 check, issued to a recipient of the CSKT’s Assistance for Needy Families program, that was stolen from a mailbox. The case was linked back to Duncan through a cooperative investigation by multiple agencies.

Judge Owen gave Duncan credit for having served 122 days in jail, ordered him to pay restitution of $300 for the check forgery and recommended he be screened for appropriate treatment offered at the DOC.