Police apprehend felon brothers

Two brothers with a history of violating probation and failing to appear for court hearings were apprehended in Kalispell Wednesday after a Butte bail bondsman tipped off local agencies to their possible location.

The tip came in shortly after 8 p.m., indicating Samuel Hundley, 25, and his older brother Lucas Hundley, 27, might be at a house in southwest Kalispell.

The brothers had a trio of warrants out for their arrest, including a local pair totaling $115,000 for Samuel and one for $50,000 out of Silver Bow County for Lucas for vehicular homicide while under the influence.

While a resident of the home in question told police that neither had lived there for some time, both were found in the area outside the Fourth Avenue West house just minutes later. Samuel was taken into custody without incident, but his brother fled on foot.

Kalispell Police Department Patrol Capt. Tim Falkner said the subsequent search took approximately two hours, involving a perimeter set up by police and Flathead County deputies. A U.S. Border Patrol dog eventually tracked Lucas to a woman’s home where he was found hiding in the garage.

Samuel and Lucas were incarcerated in the Flathead County Detention Center. In addition to his pre-existing warrant, Lucas was booked on preliminary charges of burglary and several misdemeanor crimes.

Both brothers have histories with the local court system stretching back at least seven years.

Lucas Hundley was found in possession of controlled stimulant Provigil in August 2006, two months later being found in possession of oxycontin as well as a syringe, a spoon and a marijuana pipe, leading to a pair of cases in which he was charged with two counts of felony drug possession and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

He pleaded guilty to both drug possession charges and was given a six-year deferred sentence in June 2007. By December that year, he had violated the terms of his sentence and was given a new suspended sentence of 10 years.

Just three months into the following year, he had already violated the suspended sentence, which was reimposed in its entirety.

Lucas was again alleged to have violated his sentence in December of last year, which resulted in his arrest on a $15,000 warrant. He posted that bond in January and had been released until his arrest on Wednesday.

Samuel Hundley initially was charged with felony burglary in 2007, but that was later amended to attempted theft, to which he pleaded no contest and received a three-year deferred sentence in March 2008.

Within three months, he had pleaded guilty to a new felony charge of burglary after being caught and pinned down by an employee of an auto sales business. A second charge of unauthorized acquisition of transfer of food stamps — when he had Lucas’ girlfriend’s food stamp card — was dismissed.

That led to a revocation of his prior sentence and a new sentence of five years with the Montana Department of Corrections followed by five years suspended.

Three months later, that sentence was revoked and reimposed in its entirety.

In September 2013, a petition to revoke his sentence following his initial appearance on a charge in Butte city court was filed and a $40,000 bench warrant issued. Samuel was arrested on that warrant, but later posted bond.

Another bench warrant for his arrest, this one for $75,000, was issued in December, but he also posted that bond after being arrested. 

A new $50,000 bench warrant and a new case alleging felony bail jumping was issued after Samuel failed to appear for a hearing last week.

An arraignment in the new case is set for March 20.