Four allegedly would-be burglars plead not guilty

The quartet accused of breaking into the wrong home last month pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary charges in Flathead County District Court on Wednesday.

Branden Lee Billings, 20, Joseph Craig Neva, 19, Joseph Claude Victoria, 19 and Colton Theodore Wieczorek, 19, were arrested following the allegedly bungled March 26 burglary in Kalispell. Victoria earned an additional tampering with a witness or informant felony charge after allegedly threatening to kill at least one of his compatriots if they talked to authorities.

An omnibus hearing for each of the men is scheduled for June 8 with a pretrial conference to follow on June 22.

Several of the men ended up cooperating with Kalispell police during the investigation, court documents said. They allegedly admitted to planning the burglary of an acquaintance’s home, hoping to come away with drugs and money.

According to court documents, the group bought latex gloves before heading to their intended victim’s neighborhood. Three of the men approached the door of a Fourth Avenue East apartment, only realizing it was the wrong address after breaking through and coming across the resident, court documents said.

She screamed when a masked head poked through the newly created space where her door once stood.

A neighbor watched as the trio fled into an idling pickup truck, court documents said. The vehicle then retreated from the scene. Investigators credited witnesses and surveillance footage with aiding in the subsequent arrests.

Conspiracy to commit burglary comes with a maximum punishment of 20 years in Montana State Prison and a $50,000 fine. Tampering with a witness or information carries a penalty of up to 10 years behind bars and a $50,000 fine.

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com.