Templeton sentenced for thefts
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Judge James Manley, of Polson, committed a Polson man to the Montana Department of Corrections for a total of 13 years with 11 years suspended for a series of Lake County thefts and a burglary.
Eric Templeton, 33, entered into a plea agreement at District Court in Polson on July 15 that resolved four separate cases against him. The first case involved the theft of rare items from a Charlo couple in November of 2018. Some of the items taken included a limited edition cosmonaut watch that was sold to WP Diamonds of New York for $1,600, an ivory cribbage board that was sold in Alaska for $450, a walrus tusk scrimshaw and a bronze statue. The Charlo couple had indicated to investigators that the items were taken sometime between 2015 and 2016 when Templeton was helping them build their home.
The second case involved the burglary of a warehouse in Pablo in December of 2019 where copper tubing was the target. The third case involved the theft of a Kubota tractor from the St. Ignatius area in April of 2020. The fourth case involved the theft of a Polaris General in March of 2020.
In addition to the 13-year DOC commitment, Manley ordered Templeton to pay restitution of $20,551.03 and gave him 157 days credit for time already served. Templeton told the court that proceeds he made from his criminal activity went to pay off a drug debt and buy more drugs.
