Jury convicts Kalispell man of two drug charges
A Kalispell man has been convicted on a pair of drug charges after a three-day trial.
Jurors took a little more than five hours Wednesday to arrive at guilty verdicts for 31-year-old Brandon Stanfield on felony charges of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs and conspiracy in the criminal distribution of dangerous drugs.
Stanfield connected a buyer with his supplier, 26-year-old Austin Quade Russell of Kalispell — who sold the buyer a gram of heroin, according to a court document — and another person purchased a gram of heroin directly from Stanfield.
Both drug transactions were on July 17, 2012.
During the first two days of the trial, Deputy Flathead County Attorneys Ken Park and Andrew Clegg introduced 21 exhibits and called six witnesses. Stanfield’s attorney, Tim Baldwin, cross-examined the witnesses and also entered four exhibits, while one was blocked based on an objection from prosecutors.
Among the prosecution witnesses was Russell, who was given immunity for his testimony at the trial since he is facing a felony charge of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs for his alleged involvement in the crime. Another witness also was given immunity for her testimony.
With the convictions, Stanfield now faces between two years and two consecutive life terms in the Montana State Prison and a fine of up to $100,000 when he is sentenced Dec. 19.
The convictions do not, however, seal all of Stanfield’s legal issues. He still faces felony charges of robbery and criminal possession of dangerous drugs in another case.
A court document in that case alleges Stanfield tried to sell a man two bags of methamphetamine Oct. 18, 2012, and that when the man refused, Stanfield demanded the keys to the man’s 1996 Audi A4, chasing him around the home with a clothes iron and breaking down the bathroom door until he turned the keys over.
If convicted of those charges, Stanfield faces between two and 45 years in the state prison and a fine of up to $100,000. The next hearing in the case is Oct. 21 — an attorney conference immediately followed by his trial.
Stanfield also was previously convicted, along with three other people, of burglarizing a North Ashley Lake Road home on Jan. 26, 2012. Stanfield originally was charged with felony burglary and misdemeanor criminal trespass to vehicles, but that was later reduced to felony counts of conspiracy to commit burglary and burglary.
On Aug. 9, 2012, Stanfield was given a 15-year suspended sentence as part of a plea deal in which the felony burglary charge and another case alleging bail jumping dismissed.
During a hearing on a petition to revoke that sentence on April 18 this year, District Judge Robert Allison not only revoked the sentence but reimposed it in its entirety as a straight prison sentence. He also ordered Stanfield to complete drug treatment before he becomes eligible for parole.
Reporter Jesse Davis may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at jdavis@dailyinterlake.com.