Kalispell man indicted on federal gun charges

A 40-year-old Kalispell man has been indicted in U.S. District Court on gun-related charges.

Christopher Kelly Ferrari pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to counts of possessing unregistered firearms and keeping them as a convicted felon.

According to court documents, authorities found he had two 9 mm handguns, a silencer, a .410-caliber shotgun and a .22-caliber handgun. The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

Ferrari has a long criminal history in Flathead County, including multiple drug convictions and bail jumping. He was previously on conditional release from the Montana Department of Corrections.

The indictment in the current case makes a reference to another felony conviction in California in 1995.

Ferrari could face up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines if convicted, according to the Department of Justice. He is scheduled for a pre-trial conference on May 13 in U.S. District Court in Missoula.