DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
District of Montana

For Immediate Release

Friday, November 17, 2023
Jesse Laslovich
, United States Attorney

Informational: Federal Court Arraignments

The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared recently before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt:

Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on Nov. 14 was:

Autumn Rose Rider, 28, of Browning, on charges of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. If convicted of the most serious crime, Rider faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Rider was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.

Appearing on Nov. 7 was:

Thomasine Tachelle Wahl Salway, 21, of Browning, on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. If convicted of the most serious crime, Salway faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Salway was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.

Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on

Nov. 14 was:

Aubreh Lakhaie Barnes, 34, and Aurelia Dawn Lang, 49, both of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted of the most serious crime, the defendants face a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Both defendants were detained pending further proceedings. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.

Jennifer Hall, 42, of Livingston, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Hall faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Hall was detained pending further proceedings. The Missouri River High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation.

Appearing on Nov. 7 was:

Eric Stephen Hadnott, 44, of Billings, on charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Hadnott faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release. Hadnott was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.

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Denver Field Division