Kalispell man pleads guilty to bail jumping, sentence violations

A 33-year-old Kalispell man, Joshua Pilsch, pleaded guilty to a series of charges March 14 in Flathead District Court.

Pilsch pleaded guilty to felony bail jumping for failing to appear for a May 3, 2012, hearing on allegations that he violated his sentence in a prior case. He also admitted Thursday to those violations of the three-year deferred sentence he was given in 2009 for accountability to criminal distribution of dangerous drugs.

One of the violations is the basis of a third case in which Pilsch pleaded guilty to amended charges of felony criminal endangerment and guilty by way of Alford to a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence, his fourth DUI offense.

That case was filed after Pilsch rolled his vehicle. During Thursday’s hearing, Pilsch claimed he had just taken medication for post-traumatic stress disorder and a traumatic brain injury — sustained in Iraq — and was headed home with his wife and daughter in a vehicle behind him.

Pilsch originally was charged with felony drunken driving, with his prior convictions for drunken driving coming in September 1997, April 2005 and December 2005.

He is facing a proposed sentence of five years in prison and five years of probation when he is sentenced May 14.