Flathead man with long criminal record gets prison time

A Flathead Valley man with a criminal record dating back nearly 20 years received a lengthy prison sentence for his latest transgressions.

Conor Larkin McLean, 37, recently received an eight-year term to the Montana Department of Corrections after pleading guilty in October to several felony charges, including criminal endangerment, assault with a weapon, robbery, theft and misdemeanor criminal mischief.

Flathead District Court Judge Amy Eddy delivered the sentences during a hearing Nov. 25.

McLean received eight years each on the robbery, criminal endangerment and assault with weapon charges. For a theft charge, he received three years suspended. The sentences will be served concurrently, meaning they will be combined. He must also pay a total of $8,887 in restitution to three victims of his crimes.

McLean also received credit for time served, a total of 330 days. McLean will remain in the Flathead County Detention Center until he is moved to one of the state’s Department of Corrections facilities.

The charges encompass a number of events that occurred in the Flathead Valley during the last 16 months.

According to court documents, it began shortly before 9 a.m., Tuesday, June 25, 2019, when McLean stole a man’s truck after the man had parked it at his place of employment. McLean entered the unlocked truck and drove away. The pickup contained a black Colt .45 handgun.

A few minutes later, McLean opened the door of a truck belonging to a California man, who was sitting in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant. McLean allegedly pointed the Colt at him, said he wasn’t (expletive) around and demanded the victim’s cell phone.

The victim called 911, but McLean had left before Columbia Falls Police officers arrived. About 30 minutes later, a woman living in Whitefish called 911 and reported a man was hitting her gas cap while yelling “people were chasing him, were going to kill him and he needed gas.” After McLean left, she drove home and called 911.

A few minutes later another 911 call nearby drew the attention of more law officers.

Two Whitefish residents told a 911 dispatcher that a man, later identified as McLean, drove into their driveway and said “some (expletives) were after him and were going to kill him.” They told him to leave and he allegedly responded by pointing the gun at the two people and threatening to kill them.

Soon, a trooper from Montana Highway Patrol spotted McLean, tried to stop him and a high-speed chase began. McLean drove one mile the wrong way on U.S. 93 before leaving the road, driving through a ditch and a fence. After a chase on foot, officers arrested McLean.

McLean was held at the Flathead County Detention Center until Judge Amy Eddy ordered him released on his own recognizance to a substance use treatment facility in Columbia Falls. McLean reported to the facility Oct. 26 and was released on Nov. 24 without a drug patch being applied, which resulted in a warrant being issued for his arrest.

McLean was arrested at a bar in Evergreen on Dec. 16, 2019. His bond was set at $25,000 and he was released Feb. 29, 2020, when he posted bond and had a drug patch put on him.

Court filings indicated McLean was unresponsive from a possible heroin overdose on March 20, according to information from a 911 call.

More documents revealed that on March 24, 2020, the company responsible for McLean’s drug patch reported to authorities he hadn’t returned for a replacement patch and they were unable to find him. A warrant was issued for McLean’s arrest and on April 5, police in Helena cited him for driving on a suspended license without insurance and obstruction after he lied to officers about his identity.

He was returned to the Flathead County jail April 8.

On April 23, Judge Eddy approved an order for McLean to be released to a drug treatment facility in Billings. He was released from jail June 1 to travel to the treatment center. But two days later, McLean hadn’t arrived at the facility and state attorneys requested another warrant for his arrest.

On June 15, McLean’s attorney reported he believed McLean was at the treatment center in Billings. Court documents showed McLean had completed treatment and was discharged July 4.

Then, on Oct. 2, a Kalispell Police Department officer tried to stop McLean, knowing he had a warrant for his arrest on another matter, according to court filings. McLean stopped, looked at the officer and drove away.

Another chase began and McLean drove into oncoming traffic before he crashed into a fence, which became wrapped around his tires. He fled the vehicle, jumped off a railroad bridge into a body of water before officers went into the water to arrest him.

Other court filings detailing McLean’s probation violations showed methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana and alcohol use.

When McLean was just 18 years old, he pleaded guilty to felony witness tampering in Flathead County District Court in 2001.

Scott Shindledecker may be reached at 406-758-4441 or at sshindledecker@dailyinterlake.com.