Suspect denies Kalispell ATV theft

A Kalispell man accused of stealing an all-terrain vehicle and leading police on a short pursuit has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

Corey Brewton, 43, entered the pleas Thursday in Flathead District Court. He is charged with felony counts of theft, criminal endangerment, and fleeing from or eluding a peace officer.

Brewton is alleged to have taken the $2,500 ATV, as well as a small trailer hooked up to it and loaded with wood, from a Whitefish Stage Road on June 24. When officers later located him on the ATV, he led them on a chase during which he struck two vehicles in a parking lot, according to a court document.

A Kalispell detective said Brewton eventually ran into the side of a patrol car and was thrown off, at which point he was arrested.

If convicted of all his charges, Brewton faces up to one year in the county jail and 20 years in prison as well as a fine of between $2,000 and $102,000. He is currently incarcerated in the Flathead County Detention Center, where his bond has been set at $40,000.

His next hearing is set for Aug. 28.