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Following a global plea agreement that resolves the three cases pending before the court, Alton Steinhoff entered a no contest plea in 20th District Judicial Court on Tuesday to a felony charge of escape. Per the plea agreement, Steinhoff was committed to the custody of the Department of Public Health and Human Services for a period of 10 years, with five years suspended and credit for 203 days time served. Additionally, the other two cases were dismissed. In his statement to the court, Steinhoff expressed remorse for his actions and said that his time in the Sanders County Jail had been very impactful for him. “I look forward to being a productive member of society again,” Steinhoff said. He was remanded to the custody of the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office pending placement by the director of DPHHS.

Appearing for arraignment before Judge Molly Owen on Tuesday, Jeriko Smith-Roach pleaded not guilty to two separate charges of sexual intercourse without consent. Judge Owen set this matter for a jury trial on September 16, 2024.

In July 2022, according to the charging documents filed in both cases, the Sanders County Attorney’s Office received a message to their Facebook page from a minor female, which was relayed to the Sanders County Detective April Phillips to the nature and content of the message. On August 17, 2022, Det. Phillips met with the minor female who sent the message. The minor stated that she had been in an intimate relationship with Smith-Roach for about eight months from about July 2020 through March 2021, at the start of which the minor was 13 years old and Smith-Roach was 16. During the course of the relationship, the minor disclosed there were times where the two were being intimate that she would tell Smith-Roach “no”, revoking her consent, but Smith-Roach would just become upset and proceed to have intercourse with her anyway. The minor also disclosed that she was aware of a second minor female that had engaged in an intimate relationship with Smith-Roach after their relationship ended.

The next day, August 18, Det. Phillips met with the second minor female, who also reported being willingly intimate once with Smith-Roach during the summer of 2021, at which time the second minor was 14 years old and Smith-Roach was 18 years old.

On September 21, 2022, Smith-Roach was interviewed by Det. Phillips in Missoula. Smith-Roach allegedly admitted to engaging in an intimate relationship with both minor females, claiming he was unaware of the first minor’s age until her birthday during their relationship, and that he believed the second minor was 15 years old at the time. Per statute, the age of consent in Montana is 16 years old.

Curtis Raymond Lumley entered a guilty plea to an amended charge of criminal endangerment, pursuant to a plea agreement between the parties. Sentencing will be held on June 4, 2024.

Justin John Mielke was sentenced to a three-year deferred sentence for one count of felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs, with credit for 26 days time served. “I hope you get the help you deserve and hope you can live the life you deserve,” Judge Owen told Mielke after pronouncing the sentence.