Westland Seed burglar pleads guilty
Megan Strickland
Matthew Darnell pleaded guilty April 10 to ramming a car through the Westland Seed building.
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POLSON — Matthew Adam Darnell, 25, of Pablo, pleaded guilty on April 10 to ramming a car through Westland Seed to steal guns and attempting to steal firearms from two other establishments earlier this year.
In a plea agreement Darnell pleaded guilty to felony burglary, two counts of felony attempt and felony theft. Sentencing was set for May 22 at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, Darnell was apprehended by authorities in Adams County, Washington on Jan. 23 as a suspect in a burglary in that county. During the investigation authorities determined Darnell and Thomas Earl Dempsey, 33, of Ronan were allegedly part of a multi-day, multi-target crime spree.
Dempsey pleaded not guilty to four felony counts on April 2.
According to court documents, Darnell told investigators he was high on methamphetamine when he received a call from a woman who told him that Dempsey would pay $400 for him to drive a car. Dempsey picked Darnell up from the Northwood Trailer Park in a 1989 Porsche that was stolen from the Ronan airport a few days earlier. The duo headed out with a plan to steal guns from multiple establishments.
Dempsey and Darnell tried to break the glass door of Ronan Sports and Western in Ronan at 4:31 a.m., but fled when an alarm sounded, and the pair drove to DePoe Junction in Polson and cut the lock on the door. The alleged thieves were thwarted by again an alarm that sounded at 5:15 a.m. They headed back toward Ronan. When the pair arrived at the Ronan airport, Dempsey went into a building and retrieved keys for the courtesy car. Dempsey gave Darnell the keys and told him to follow the Porsche to Westland Seed.
Darnell rammed the airport car through the building and in eight minutes, stole more than five guns.
When law enforcement arrived they found the courtesy car still in gear.
Adams County authorities did not return calls inquiring as to what punishments Darnell and Dempsey were dealt for their crimes in Washington.
