Man accused of targeting relatives changes plea
Joseph Thomas Oliver walks to the defendant's table in Flathead County District Court during his change of plea hearing on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022. (Derrick Perkins/Daily Inter Lake)
A Coram man arrested after allegedly threatening to harm his brother and another individual in June entered an Alford plea to a felony criminal endangerment charge on Oct. 27.
In exchange, prosecutors will recommend that 37-year-old Joseph Thomas Oliver serve a deferred, three-year sentence with the state Department of Corrections. Flathead County District Court Judge Dan Wilson accepted the plea and set sentencing for Dec. 8.
In an Alford plea, the defendant maintains his or her innocence, but acknowledges a jury likely would convict them. Oliver agreed to the terms of the plea deal with prosecutors on Oct. 5.
Authorities arrested Oliver on June 10 following a tip from his relatives, who claimed he was armed and staking them out, according to court documents. Oliver allegedly told his relations he had gone by their house several times, watched them perform chores and put them in the “crosshairs of his gun,” court documents said.
When deputies with the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office confronted Oliver in his vehicle, they allegedly found a semi-automatic rifle, several magazines and a handgun.
Following his change of plea, Oliver sought release on his own recognizance, which Wilson granted with conditions, including a GPS monitoring device. Oliver had been held in county jail with bail set at $100,000 since his arrest.
News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com.