Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

MISSOULA, Mont. — A Kalispell man with a felony conviction was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing firearms, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Matthew Ryan Cubberly, 36, pleaded guilty in April to prohibited person in possession of a firearm and possession of an unregistered firearm.

U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.

In court documents, the government alleged that Cubberly was convicted of a felony drug crime in Flathead County and was on state supervision when probation officers suspected a probation violation and conducted a home visit in March 2022. During a search of Cubberly’s residence, the officers found two 12-gauge shotguns next to Cubberly’s bed. Both guns had the stocks cut off, and the barrels were less than 18 inches in length. Neither firearm was registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Cubberly was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his felony conviction.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Lowney prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Kalispell Police Department and Montana Probation and Parole 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.

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