A 22-year-old Libby man was given three suspended 10-year sentences to the Department of Health and Human Services in Flathead County District Court on July 31 stemming from a May 2013 crime spree in Whitefish.
Andrew Ryan Dlask was initially charged with three felony counts of burglary, one felony count of theft and one felony count of criminal mischief but was later found to be unfit to stand trial.
In May 2013, according to court documents, Dlask broke into at least three homes in the Whitefish area and stole four bicycles, three computers, an iPad, an electric scooter and two jugs of dimes, among other things.
On May 22, the Whitefish Police Department received a report of a 2000 Nissan Frontier pickup that had been stolen. Soon after, officers spotted the vehicle and tried to stop it, but the driver, later identified as Dlask, parked the vehicle and ran into a swamp and through the woods. Police officers followed him and after a lengthy foot chase apprehended him.
At the Whitefish police station, Dlask admitted that he and an accomplice, Casey Ehrlick, had committed the crimes. Ehrlick, who was 18 years old at the time, was later arrested and charged with burglary. He has since pleaded not guilty.
Late last year, Dlask was committed to the custody of the Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs after a medial evaluation found him to “suffer from a serious mental illness” and stated that he would be unable to stand trial.
In a plea deal made earlier this year, County Attorney Ed Corrigan offered to dismiss two of the three felony burglary charges if Dlask pleaded guilty to the burglary, theft and criminal mischief charges.
On July 31, Dlask was sentenced to three concurrent and suspended 10-year sentences to the Department of Health and Human Services. Dlask must also pay more than $7,000 in restitution to the victims of the crime spree.