Troy woman accused of sending gun to senator
A Troy woman has been indicted in federal court for allegedly shipping weapons to U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont.
Cathleen Roselyn Cantlon, 56, pleaded not guilty to the charges of interstate mailing of a firearm and ammunition and possession of a firearm after being committed to a mental health institution.
The hearing was Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Missoula.
According to court documents, U.S. Capitol Police were called to the U.S. Senate mail facility in Landover, Maryland, on May 18 about two suspicious packages. They were addressed to Tester and had a return address of a True Value store in Troy.
An X-ray of the package revealed a knife, handgun and other items.
Police and a hazard response unit examined the packages and no immediate threats were detected. One package contained a loaded .22-caliber handgun, 53 rounds of ammunition, a knife, pepper spray, a five-page letter and other papers.
The letter was addressed to “Senator John Tester Homeland Security” and referred to mental health and banking issues, according to court documents.
It was signed by Cantlon with a Troy address.
The second package contained various papers, including an envelope with the words “hazard contaminated/dirty bomb” written on it.
Further investigation by Capitol Police, the FBI and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office found that two firearms were seized from Cantlon in October 2014, only to be returned later. One of the guns was the same one was mailed to Tester.
Cantlon is scheduled to appear again in court on July 8.
A study conducted by the advocacy group Everytown For Gun Safety showed that of the 121,836 gun background checks conducted in Montana in 2014, just three mental health records were submitted to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
It placed the state at among the worst in the nation for firearms access for people with documented mental health issues.
Reporter Matt Hudson may be reached at 758-4459 or by email at mhudson@dailyinterlake.com.