Kidnapper sentenced to five years

A Flathead County man accused of kidnapping and holding a man at gunpoint following a botched drug deal was sentenced to five years in the Montana State Department of Corrections.

On Thursday, District Court Judge Ted Lympus sentenced Joseph Gordon Leigh. Leigh had  pleaded guilty to felony kidnapping and criminal endangerment earlier this year.

Leigh was one of two 20-year-old men arrested after the beating and kidnapping of Scott Bishop was reported to the Kalispell Police Department April 13.

His co-defendant, Jared Lawshe, was also sentenced to five years with the Department of Corrections  on Oct. 12.

According to court documents, Bishop’s sister called Kalispell police and reported that her brother was being held at gunpoint at Lawrence Park and needed her to bring $40 to ensure his release.

Officers found the vehicle in a parking lot on the lower west side of Kalispell and converged on the vehicle, which contained five people, including Bishop.

Bishop told police he had been called to facilitate a drug deal for Leigh and another individual and was given $120 to purchase methamphetamine. Bishop contacted a source and paid the money, but the source was unable to get him the drugs. When Leigh and his friends met up with Bishop and heard the news, Leigh apparently became angry, according to court documents.

Leigh showed Bishop a .45-caliber pistol and told him to get in the car, according to court documents. While in the car, Leigh allegedly put Bishop in a choke hold and began punching him in the face as Lawshe drove them to Kila.

Once in Kila, Bishop was ordered out of the car and Leigh told him to remove his clothes, then searched him for the money or drugs.

They then located Bishop’s source and began a high-speed chase to catch the source, who was eventually called on the phone and convinced to stop. The source gave Leigh $80.

Leigh told Bishop he still owed $40 and that if he couldn’t get the money, he would be forced to go to North Dakota with Leigh. Leigh’s sister was called for the $40.

Police located the vehicle a short time later and arrested Lawshe and Leigh.

Judge Lympus’ sentence called for 15 years in the Department of Corrections with all but five years suspended. For the criminal endangerment charge, Leigh was sentenced to 10 years, but Lympus suspended that sentence.