Missoula Crime Report: ‘Creative Attempt to Pass a Urine Test’

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - The Missoula County Attorney’s Office filed 18 new criminal complaints this week, which is eight more than last week and right around the weekly average. According to County Attorney Kirsten Pabst, two of those cases involved some form of violence. 

“One was a partner or family member assault that also involved drug possession at the Poverello Center,” Pabst said. “There was another person charged with threats against a public official. As you know, we take those quite seriously. In the endangerment category, there were four DUIs, three of which were felonies 4th, 5th or subsequent offenses.” 

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In addition, Pabst said there were three theft cases this week. 

“One involved an ankle monitor and two involved vehicles,” Pabst said. “Then there was a burglary case we charged that involved repeated thefts from local businesses. They would have been normally charged with shoplifting, but because there were so many of them, we charged felony burglary.” 

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Pabst said there were five new drug cases as well. Two involved methamphetamine and two involved fentanyl.  

“In the other, we charged tampering with evidence,” Pabst said. “In that case, the allegation is, well, I'm just going to call it a creative attempt to pass a urine test. In the administrative crimes category, we had three people charged with fugitive from justice. And then finally, we're handling a coroner's inquest today. It was an inquest involving the death of Vance Ledeau, who was fatally wounded at the Smoke Jumper Center back in 2022.” 

That investigation was conducted by the Department of Criminal Investigation in Helena. The Missoula County Attorney’s Office provides a weekly crime report every Friday morning at 9:00 on Talk Back. You can listen to Pabst’s full report below: