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District of Montana
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
CHANNING EDER PLEADS GUILTY IN U.S. FEDERAL COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Great Falls on December 9, 2008, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, CHANNING EDER, a 20-year-old resident of Wolf Point, pled guilty to use of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. Sentencing is set for January 8, 2009. He is currently detained.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
During the evening of October 8, 2007, EDER went to his mother's home in Wolf Point where EDER'S uncle was visiting his mother. EDER and his uncle got into an argument because his uncle suspected EDER of breaking the windshield of his uncle's car. EDER, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, pulled a .380 semi-automatic handgun and pointed it at his uncle while demanding that he give him money. His uncle gave EDER $30 and a small bag of marijuana.
When questioned, EDER admitted that he pulled the gun when his uncle refused to give him money or drugs and then took the money and marijuana from him.
EDER faces possible penalties of a minimum mandatory 7 years in prison and could be sentenced to life, a $250,000 fine and 5 years supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebekah J. French prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Fort Peck Tribes Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.