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Accused Missoula Flasher to Move to Bigfork
Cole William Francisco is charged with five counts of indecent exposurebanking...
BY JUSTIN FRANZ OF THE BEACON
A 22-year-old University of Montana student who allegedly exposed himself to at least four young girls in Lolo in March is moving to Bigfork while awaiting trial.
Cole William Francisco has been charged with five counts of indecent ex- posure and one count of criminal pos- session of dangerous drugs in Missoula County District Court. He has been in jail since March and pleaded not guilty to all six counts, four of which are felo- nies, in April.
Francisco appeared in court on Sept. 2 where his attorney told District Court Judge Karen Townsend that Francisco’s family had posted his $125,000 bond, the Missoulian reports. While Francisco awaits trial he will be in the custody of his grandparents in Bigfork. However, pros- ecutors raised concerns about a require- ment that bars Francisco from being within 1,500 feet of a school, bus stop or park. Due to the location of Francisco’s grandparent’s home, he would have to drive within the 1,500-foot zone to get to his job in the Kalispell area.
According to the Missoulian, Judge Townsend told the court that she would allow Francisco to drive past those sites
BRIEFS
Blackfeet Tribal Council Votes to Banish Drug Dealers
To address a growing drug problem on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, the tribal council is reviving an historic pun- ishment to banish dealers and suppliers.
On Sept. 3, the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council unanimously passed a motion to ban all known drug deal- ers, or “undesirables,” from the reserva- tion. Chairman Harry Barnes said ban- ishment has been used as a punishment on the reservation before and they will start using it against accused drug deal- ers because federal law enforcement offi- cials are not doing enough to prosecute them.
“The intention is to banish known drug dealers from the reservation by hav- ing law enforcement escort them to the reservation boundaries and informing them that if they come back they will be arrested,” he said.
Banishment is not a new concept in Indian Country and Barnes said it is permitted in various Blackfeet treaties with United States government. The punishment has been making a come- back in recent years to address growing drug problems on reservations across the
but that he needs supervision every time he leaves his grandparents’ home and must wear a GPS tracking device.
Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry noted that Francisco is still awaiting trial and thus has not been found guilty of a crime in this situation, however he has been informed of the man’s arrival.
“It’s on our radar and we’re aware of the situation,” Curry said.
According to court documents, Fran- cisco exposed himself to four differ- ent girls over three days in March. All the girls ranged in age from 11 to 15. On March 19, a Missoula City Police officer spotted someone matching Francisco’s description at a gas station. Francisco was taken into custody and questioned at the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office.
While there, Francisco allegedly ad- mitted to flashing the four girls and
according to court documents, he told police that “it gave him a sexual ‘rush’ to have girls ‘catch’ him while he was mas- turbating.” After obtaining a search war- rant, police found a half-empty vial of Ketamine, a Schedule II dangerous drug that is normally used on animals, but has been abused as a “date-rape” drug.
At the time of Francisco’s arrest he was on misdemeanor probation for sur- reptitious visual observation while mas- turbating and looking through a woman’s window in 2014. The Missoulian also re- ports that Franciso was previously con- victed in California for a weapons viola- tion, after loitering outside of a woman’s bathroom with a pistol in his backpack.
If convicted, Francisco could face up to 100 years in prison. He is due back in court in November.
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FLATHEAD COUNTY SHERIFF CHUCK CURRY NOTED THAT FRANCISCO IS STILL AWAITING TRIAL AND THUS HAS NOT BEEN FOUND GUILTY OF A CRIME IN THIS SITUATION, HOWEVER HE HAS BEEN INFORMED OF THE MAN’S ARRIVAL.
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country. The Lac du Flambeau Tribe of the Lake Superior Chippewa Indians in Wisconsin has used the practice exten- sively since 2013. The tribe’s official web- site lists more than 70 people who have been banished over the last two years.
Barnes sited a recent incident when tribal law enforcement busted a meth dealer on the reservation and confiscated numerous items that could be used to build a meth lab. But three months later, no charges have been filed against the indi- vidual. While the tribe has its own court system, it can only address misdemeanor crimes, and felonies are prosecuted at the federal level. Barnes said that means some drug cases fall through the cracks.
Now the tribal council will be able to banish people on a case-by-case basis. Barnes said if a banished individual returns to the reservation and is caught they would be arrested. He also said the tribal council only plans on banishing drug dealers and not users.
“I don’t care if we have to arrest someone five times, we’ll arrest them five times,” he said. “We’re not going out there trying to violate someone’s civil rights, we’re trying to protect our people from drug dealers who are preying on our res- ervation and our people.”
Woman Pleads Not Guilty to Charges After Leading Police on High-Speed Case
A Flathead County woman has been charged with theft and criminal endan- germent after leading police on a high- speed pursuit from the Flathead Valley to Essex that reached speeds of 100 miles per hour.
Raychelle Yvette Afseth pleaded not guilty to both felony charges in Flathead County District Court on Sept. 3.
According to court documents, a man reported his vehicle stolen at the Kmart in Evergreen on Aug. 20. Soon after, a Flathead County Sheriff’s Deputy spot- ted the vehicle on Montana Highway 35 and tried to pull it over but the driver sped away. Police followed the vehicle as it sped north on Montana Highway 206 before turning on to U.S. Highway 2 near Columbia Falls. Authorities followed the vehicle east and finally stopped it near Essex when they deployed a spike strip. Afseth was taken into custody.
If convicted she could face up to 10 years in prison and fines of $50,000.
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SEPTEMBER 9, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
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