Man keeps plea agreement made for burglary charges
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A Plains man was able to keep the terms of his plea agreement, which called for imposition of sentencing being deferred on a series of charges, after having jumped bail and racked up new charges in other counties.
Sentencing for Mitchell Bear Raymond, 25, was deferred for two years on one count of criminal possession of dangerous drugs. He was given credit for serving 61 days in jail. Sentencing was deferred for six years on each count of felony burglary and felony theft. These sentences will run concurrently to each other. He was given credit for serving 70 days in jail on this case. Sentencing was deferred for one year on a bail jumping charge, and he was given credit for 30 days jail time already served.
The sentences were handed down at District Court in Polson before Judge Deborah “Kim” Christopher on May 20 who also ordered Raymond to pay restitution of $2,991.86 to the victims of his crimes. Raymond was also ordered to pay the cost his public defender, which was $800.
According to court records, on Jan. 13, 2019, Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Dan Yonkin, executed a search warrant at Raymond’s residence and located a stolen generator, trolling motor, firearm and tools. Yonkin also located a baggie of methamphetamine, digital scale and items for packaging and selling methamphetamine.
Raymond allegedly admitted to Yonkin that many of the items were stolen and that he “fences” stolen property. He also allegedly admitted that he recently purchased a stolen gun and chainsaw for an eight-ball (about 3.5 grams) of meth.
Raymond denied participating in the burglaries, but he did confess to another burglary on Finley Point where he stole a blue Dodge Durango. Raymond said he secured the Dodge with a towbar to his Subaru, and then, he filled the Durango with stolen items. The stolen items included fishing gear, tools, batteries and a compressor.
The Durango had not been reported stolen yet as the owners are summer residents. Raymond described other burglaries. He also offered assistance in locating and collecting the stolen property.
Raymond reached a plea agreement on April 1, 2020, that called for the imposition of sentencing being deferred, but then, Raymond disappeared. He was later involved in a pursuit with law enforcement from Flathead and Sanders counties down Thompson River Road. According to prosecutor Ben Anciaux with the Lake County Attorney’s Office, Raymond is facing numerous charges in those counties and others. He made his appearance for his Lake County sentencing hearing via zoom from the Lincoln County jail.
Raymond is set to be arraigned on another bail jumping charge in Lake County on May 27. Raymond’s co-defendants in the Lake County burglaries are Brandon Tollie and Eugene Thomas Germain. They have already been sentenced and were also facing charges in multiple jurisdictions.
