Suspect accused of more

Two more charges have been added to the list for Jaroslaw "Jerry" Ambrozuk, now in custody and accused of negligent homicide in the 1982 small-plane death of Dianne Babcock.

Last week, District Judge Stewart Stadler received two more charges filed against Ambrozuk - theft for allegedly taking the rental plane with no intention of returning it, and criminal mischief for crashing it into the lake.

If convicted of all three charges and given the maximum 10-year sentence for each, and ordered to serve them consecutively, it means Ambrozuk could spend 30 years in jail.

On Feb. 1, Ambrozuk had changed his plea of not guilty on the negligent homicide charge to "no contest." He was to have been sentenced in Flathead County District Court on March 7.

Flathead County Attorney Ed Corrigan had recommended 10 years supervised probation, knowing that he still faces federal charges in Texas involving passport fraud. Ambrozuk's attorney Pat Sherlock had agreed, but initially asked for a 10-year deferred sentence.

Then it came to light at the sentencing that the Canadian citizen who had been living under an assumed identity in the United States for the past 24 years almost certainly would be deported to Canada after the federal sentencing.

Area attorneys learned that Canada would not accept the responsibility to supervise any U.S. sentence. That opened up the possibility that Ambrozuk could pass through the federal system with similar results and effectively go free without penalty, other than the six months he has spent in jail awaiting this sentencing.

As a result, Corrigan withdrew his recommendation and Ambrozuk was allowed to reinstate his no-contest plea.

His trial is scheduled to begin May 21.

Ambrozuk is accused of causing Babcock's death when he crashed their rented plane into Little Bitterroot Lake more than 24 years ago, when the two British Columbia residents were teenagers.

He maintains they had plans to run away and start a new life together in the United States.