Columbia Falls Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Gun Possession
Zachary Matthew Gargasz, 38, pleaded guilty earlier this year to being a felon in possession of a firearm following his 2017 conviction on a drug charge in Flathead County District Court
By Maggie Dresser
A 38-year-old Columbia Falls man who illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced Wednesday to four years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Zachary Matthew Gargasz pleaded guilty in March 2025 to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm before U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy.
U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney prosecuted the case.
According to court documents, Gargasz on Oct. 6, 2017, was convicted in Flathead County District Court on a felony charge for operating a clandestine drug laboratory. He was sentenced to 10 years with the Montana Department of Corrections, with all time suspended.
Gargasz on Nov. 9, 2018, signed a Firearms Regulation Form acknowledging he was prohibited from possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
On Dec. 1, 2023, Gargasz reported to his probation officers for a scheduled visit, during which 11 rounds of .45-caliber ammunition were found in the center console of his vehicle during a search. Officers also located two AR-style magazines taped together in opposite directions, loaded with 63 .233-caliber rounds, behind the passenger seat, according to court documents.
Probation officers then searched Gargasz’s home and found a .45-caliber handgun loaded with seven rounds under his mattress.
At a revocation hearing on April 11, 2024, Gargasz admitted to possessing the firearm, records state.
The ATF and State of Montana Probation and Parole conducted the investigation.