Some charges filed Friday in burglary case

The Daily Inter Lake

No official charges were filed until Friday in the case of three teenage boys alleged to have participated in an Evergreen burglary and a fourth teenage boy alleged to have been involved in a drug incident with one of the other three boys.

An application had been filed Tuesday by the Flathead County Attorney’s Office to obtain permission from Youth Court to file proposed charges against the group based on the allegations. However, none of the youths were charged until Friday, when the youth court ruled that at least some of the facts as posed by the attorney’s office constituted probable cause.

According to Montana Code Annotated 41-5-1401, the county attorney’s petition to file charges “must be supported by evidence that the youth court may require. If it appears that there is probable cause to believe that the allegations of the petition are true,” then the youth court can grant permission for the proposed charges to be filed.

In the cases of Jesse Cuchine, 14; Jerome Kraft, 15; and Nathan Wagoner, 15, the attorney’s office has proposed charges of felony burglary and misdemeanor theft. The office had also proposed a charge of felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs against Kraft in connection with a transaction allegedly initiated by Cody Hill, 14. The attorney’s office has proposed a felony charge of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs on or near school property against Hill.

Although charges were filed on Friday in at least some of these cases, the Inter Lake was unable to confirm which charges had been officially filed against whom as of press time.

The Inter Lake incorrectly reported in Friday’s paper that the boys were charged on all counts on Tuesday.