Sex offender racks up string of alleged violations

Authorities contend that a Eureka man’s brushes with the law violate his probation since he was released from prison to finish a 13-year suspended portion of a 20-year sentence for sexual assault.

Michael Thomas Kullberg, 27, faces revocation of the suspended sentence at a hearing on Thursday in Kalispell.

He received the sentence after he entered an Alford plea to a charge of raping a 14-year-old girl in 2005. Alford pleas do not explicitly admit guilt, but they do admit that a jury is likely to reach a guilty verdict.

At Kullberg’s sentencing, Flathead District Judge Stewart Stadler noted that it was difficult to send an 18-year-old to prison but cited a psychological evaluation that found there was almost a 100 percent chance that Kullberg would commit a violent sexual crime within a decade if he was released.

Earlier in his life, Kullberg was the subject of national media attention in 1995 when he, then age 6, and a 13-year-old were charged for an arson fire that caused $1 million in damage to a Lakeside marina. The arson charge was dropped against Kullberg.

According to a report filed by Probation and Parole Officer Darrell Vanderhoef of Libby, Kullberg was released from the first part of his prison sentence to authorities in Hawaii. Kullberg was kicked out of the island state because of a conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol and failure to complete sex offender treatment, according to Vanderhoef’s January report.

In January 2015, Kullberg came back to Flathead and Lincoln counties and racked up numerous alcohol and driving violations. Kullberg was issued citations for driving without a license and insurance, not wearing a seat belt and speeding in March 2015. A probation officer ordered that Kullberg install an ignition interlock device that checks blood alcohol level concentration before a vehicle can start.

Kullberg was cited by a Montana Highway Patrol trooper on July 14, 2015, for driving without a license. A day later another trooper checked on Kullberg after he ran his truck off the road.

The trooper noted the ignition interlock device had not been installed on Kullberg’s vehicle and Kullberg’s blood- alcohol concentration at .04. The legal limit is .08, however probationers are not allowed to consume alcohol of any type.

Kullberg was spotted by a Eureka Police officer driving near a school on Sept. 15, 2015. When stopped by the officer, he allegedly made an excuse that driving was necessary to support his family.

Kullberg was also cited for disorderly conduct for an Oct. 31, 2015 incident after Eureka Police were called to a disturbance. Kullberg had allegedly gotten into an altercation with two others who were drunk. His blood alcohol concentration was documented as .163.

In addition to the drinking and driving allegations, Kullberg also faces possible violations for maintaining his job and residence. Kullberg was employed as a chef at a Bigfork marina at the beginning of July 2015. By the end of July, Kullberg had allegedly told Vanderhoef that he was going to open a tattoo shop in Eureka.

Kullberg then allegedly broke terms of probation by giving another probationer a tattoo in September 2015 (probationers are prohibited from associating with each other). Kullberg allegedly continued to associate with the probationer and had the man watch Kullberg’s children so he could go and drink beers in October 2015.

Kullberg allegedly told his probation officer that his limited financial resources are the reason he has not entered the court-ordered sex offender treatment program since his return to Montana. One treatment provider allegedly turned Kullberg down because of his poor attitude. Kullberg has been less than cooperative since his return to Montana, Vanderhoef wrote.

“He has been argumentative and confrontive with his supervising officer, therapists, Child Protective Services personnel and law enforcement,” Vanderhoef wrote.

Vanderhoef tried to get Kullberg back on track by requiring weekly reporting and putting him in jail for three days for a curfew violation, but that has been unsuccessful, he wrote.

Vanderhoef has recommended that if Kullberg is found to be in violation of his probation, he should be sentenced to 13 years in Montana State Prison with five years suspended.

Flathead District Judge Heidi Ulbricht will be the one to ultimately decide his fate.

Reporter Megan Strickland can be reached at 758-4459 or mstrickland@dailyinterlake.com.