Rape charges dropped in plea bargain

A Whitefish man pleaded guilty to criminal endangerment on Thursday as part of a plea bargain in which two charges of sexual intercourse without consent were dismissed.

Part of the plea bargain calls for Ezequiel Gonzalez, 21, to be sentenced to eight years with the Montana Department of Corrections with all of that time suspended.

Gonzalez also will have to complete a sex offender evaluation and follow through with any findings recommended by a mental health professional. He is set to be sentenced Feb. 11.

After pleading guilty, Gonzalez admitted that he had been dating a woman for more than a year as part of a church group that performed missionary work. The pair weren’t allowed to have sex or date per the church’s rules, but the pair engaged in those activities anyway, Gonzalez said.

The two were thinking about getting married, he said.

On Aug. 2 the pair had sex in a truck and had a fight and at one point Gonzalez claimed he had a knife at his throat.

Gonzalez admitted hurting the victim.

“I shoved her by her shoulders,” Gonzalez said. “I know it caused fear that it could escalate past that.”

The two then had sex again, Gonzalez admitted.

When asked by prosecutor Ed Corrigan, Gonzalez denied that he had choked the victim.

Reporter Megan Strickland may be reached at 758-4459 or by email at mstrickland@dailyinterlake.com.