Source: Office of United States Attorneys
MISSOULA — A Kalispell man who admitted to possessing a stolen gun was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Joseph Christopher Steele, 24, pleaded guilty in October 2024 to possession of a stolen firearm.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in December 2022, a man, identified as John Doe, filed a report with the Kalispell Police Department that his firearm safe containing a .45-caliber pistol and two magazines, along with the title to his pickup truck, had been stolen from his vehicle. Five days later, while investigating an unrelated incident, police officers found Doe’s stolen pickup title in a Subaru that also had been reported stolen. While being interviewed about the Subaru, Steele admitted he had been driving the vehicle but denied knowing it was stolen. Doe’s pickup title was not discussed. In January 2024, Whitefish Police Department officers executed a search warrant on Steele’s residence to locate evidence related to a stolen cell phone. Steele was on state probation at the time. During the search, officers located a pistol in a gun case with two magazines. Based on the gun’s serial number, officers determined the pistol was the firearm Doe had reported stolen.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Kalispell and Whitefish police departments and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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