Sep. 26—A man accused of leading sheriff’s deputies on a high-speed chase in June received a five-year suspended jail sentence on Thursday for felony criminal endangerment in Flathead County District Court.
Baldemar Duarte-Nieto also faced a misdemeanor count for fleeing from or eluding a police officer, but prosecutors dropped the charge as part of a plea agreement filed on July 31.
Judge Heidi Ulbricht, who presided over the case, stuck to the terms of the agreement at the Sept. 25 sentencing and directed Duarte-Nieto to serve out his five-year sentence with the Montana Department of Corrections. Ulbricht gave Duarte-Nieto credit for 92 days served.
Ulbricht also struck all fines leveled against Duarte-Nieto from the record after the lead attorney on the case, Scott Hilderman, informed the court of an immigration warrant in Duarte-Nieto’s name.
“In all likelihood, he will be picked up here and taken to immigration,” said Hilderman.
Duarte-Nieto has an active warrant out of Washington for narcotics possession and drug trafficking as well as a federal immigration violation for re-entering the country after he was previously deported, according to court documents.
Flathead County Sheriff’s deputies apprehended Duarte-Nieto in Kalispell on June 26 after receiving a tip from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security about a possible suspect in the area.
Duarte-Nieto fled when deputies attempted to pull his vehicle over near South Meridian Road, according to court documents. The ensuing chase reached speeds of up to 80 mph and ended after Duarte-Nieto collided with a tree and a parked vehicle on Fifth Street West.
Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at 758-4433 or [email protected].