Man sentenced for threating people with gun

A Kalispell man was given a six-year deferred sentence on Thursday for threatening people with a gun on July 6. 

The sentence means that Thomas James “T.J.” Sorkness, 22, will serve six years under the supervision of felony probation officials, and if he does not violate terms of his sentence, the felony conviction can be wiped from his criminal history.

When he pleaded guilty to felony assault with a weapon earlier this year, Sorkness told Flathead District Judge Robert Allison that he had been high on methamphetamine when he went looking for a woman and ended up pointing a gun at others. He said he was so high he did not remember anything.

Allison had been reluctant to release Sorkness from jail pending sentencing because of his drug use issues. Prosecutors had agreed to release Sorkness if he agreed to be monitored by the drug patch, a patch that is applied to the skin and monitors sweat for drug usage.

Allison warned Sorkness when he was released that he would have no tolerance for a contaminated patch. Allison has come to call people who successfully complete a release on the drug patch “unicorns” because they are so rare.

Sorkness successfully had four drug patches applied, with one that he said rolled off when he was working in the rain. He said he provided a urine sample immediately that came back negative for drugs and paid $270 for a hair follicle test to prove he had not used.

“I was very, very compliant,” Sorkness said. “I lift 200-pound rocks all day, rain, snow or shine. It did roll up on me.”

Allison expressed that he was not completely satisfied with Sorkness’ explanation, but was willing to follow the recommended sentence.

“You don’t get unicorn status, but I think we’re going to say good enough,” Allison said.

Allison warned Sorkness against violating terms of probation because he could face up to 20 years in Montana State Prison.

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