Kalispell man pleads guilty to felony charge

The second of two Kalispell men involved in an Oct. 3, 2011, high-speed chase pleaded guilty to two charges Thursday in Flathead District Court.

Joshua Rosalez, 29, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of criminal possession with intent to distribute related to the chase, in which Rosalez and Joshua Hermann, 23, stole a 2006 Honda Civic and fled from police.

They drove at 90 miles per hour and higher, swerving into oncoming traffic.

The chase began in Kalispell and ended 15 miles inside Lincoln County, where both men abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot before being apprehended.

Inside the vehicle, officers found a bag holding 137.5 grams of marijuana — some of which was packaged in 1-ounce and half-ounce baggies. They also found a backpack containing methamphetamine.

Rosalez also pleaded guilty to a felony charge of robbery related to incidents on May 4, 2011, in which Rosalez attempted to collect a drug debt.

In exchange for his guilty pleas, additional charges of felony theft connected to the chase and felony assault with a weapon — connected to the robbery — were dropped.

Rosalez faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000 on each of the charges. Sentencing was scheduled for March 29.

Hermann pleaded guilty to a felony theft charge in exchange for two additional felony theft charges and felony charges of criminal possession of dangerous drugs and criminal endangerment being dropped.

His sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 16.