ROBERT LEE WELCH SENTENCED IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT

Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on October 2, 2008, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, ROBERT LEE WELCH, a 26-year-old resident of Browning, appeared for sentencing. WELCH was sentenced to a term of:

• Prison: 72 months

• Special Assessment: $100

• Restitution: $58,901.89

• Supervised Release: 3 years

WELCH was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

On the morning of October 19, 2006, WELCH was driving a Chevy Tahoe SUV on Highway 2 near Browning. WELCH, and his female passenger, had been consuming vodka together that morning. As WELCH approached the intersection of Highway 2 and BIA Route 1, he crossed over the center-line and veered into the opposite lane and oncoming traffic. WELCH'S SUV struck a car which was heading in the opposite direction on Highway 2 going from East Glacier to Cut Bank. The area where the accident occurred is entirely within the exterior boundaries of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.

Law enforcement officers from the Montana Highway Patrol, Glacier County Sheriff's Office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and emergency and medical personnel responded to the scene of the accident. Officers noticed a strong odor of alcoholic beverage on WELCH'S breath and that his speech was "extremely slurred." WELCH exhibited physical indications of intoxication during administration of the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus sobriety test. Toxicology results from two blood draws indicated that WELCH'S blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was at least .20 grams of ethanol per 100 milliliters of blood, or higher.

WELCH later admitted to that he was driving intoxicated at the time of the accident. WELCH said that he consumed a pint of vodka the night before the accident and that he continued drinking into the morning. WELCH also stated that he has a memory blackout as to the accident itself, but he remembered driving drunk immediately prior to the accident.The two occupants of the vehicle each suffered serious bodily injuries as a result of the collision. The female occupant received 16 broken bones from the accident, including a broken pelvis. She was hospitalized for approximately six weeks. She suffered extreme physical pain as a result of her injuries. The male occupant received eight broken ribs, two breaks in his nose, a broken sternum, a break in his left leg, a broken arm, and a shattered femur in his right leg. Medical personnel classified his injuries as serious bodily injury.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that WELCH will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, WELCH does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Vince Carroll prosecuted the case for the United States.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Montana Highway Patrol, Glacier County Sheriff's Office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Browning.