A Flathead County man pleaded not guilty to 10 felony counts in U.S. District Court in Missoula on Tuesday, one of four men indicted by federal prosecutors earlier this year for their roles in a prolific crime spree that included the theft and transport of vehicles, campers and more from Kalispell to a home in eastern Washington.
Daniel Forrest Haslage, 26, appeared in front of Judge Kathleen DeSoto Tuesday morning. Haslage, who is also facing separate charges in Flathead and Sanders counties, pleaded not guilty to seven counts of interstate transportation of stolen vehicles and single counts of conspiracy, interstate transportation of stolen property, and interstate transportation of stolen firearms.
Leif Peter Larsen, Shane Bryan Johnson and Kevin John Audett were indicted along with Haslage earlier this year and face various similar charges. The alleged conspiracy netted the four men more than $375,000 worth of stolen vehicles and another $21,000 in other stolen property.
A 14-page affidavit filed in the case includes some dramatic accusations, like that Haslage allegedly stole a 1969 Dodge Charger styled like the General Lee from the TV show “Dukes of Hazzard” and led law enforcement on a high-speed, wrong-way chase on I-90 near the Idaho-Montana border. Larsen allegedly stole a 1970 Dodge Cornet Super Bee from the same Idaho home where the General Lee was taken and the two were driving together when a Montana Highway Patrol trooper attempted to pull them over. Larsen exited the interstate while law enforcement pursued Haslage, who turned around on the highway twice before crashing in a forested area and fleeing on foot. Haslage was “covered in mud and missing a shoe” when he was later arrested in the woods, at which time troopers also recovered a stolen rifle. Larsen was later successfully pulled over on I-90. Law enforcement found bolt cutters, a flashlight, a bandana and other items “consistent with bulgarious instruments” in the Cornet, along with a stolen shotgun.
The string of alleged thefts covered a six-month period between April and October 2020 and in most — but not all — cases Haslage, sometimes along with Larsen, Johnson and others, would commit the thefts and bring the stolen vehicles or firearms to Audett in eastern Washington. The full list of allegations include:
- Theft of a pickup truck, camper, thousands of dollars worth of hunting and fishing supplies, and a rifle from a storage facility in Creston
- Theft of a camper trailer from a storage facility in Kalispell
- Theft of a trailer, box truck, numerous firearms and ammunition from a storage facility in Kalispell
- Theft of a flatbed truck and pickup truck from a used car dealership in Kalispell
- Theft of a cargo trailer from a gravel pull out on I-90 in Idaho
- Transport of a stolen sports car from Kalispell to Washington
- Transport of a stolen truck from a Kalispell business to Washington
- Theft of a sports car and pickup truck from a business in Kalispell
- Theft of two trucks from a landscaping company in Washington
- Theft of several vehicles and 30 keys from a car dealership in Idaho
Johnson reached an agreement with prosecutors on June 16 and pleaded guilty to a single count of interstate transportation of stolen vehicles on Tuesday. He will be sentenced later this year. Larsen and Audett have pleaded not guilty to their charges.
Haslage, Larsen and Audett are scheduled to make their next court appearances July 7.