Sprinkle's bail set at $500K
Bail for Gloria L. Sprinkle, the 53-year-old woman facing two felony counts of assault with a weapon and a third felony of criminal endangerment, has been set at $500,000 by Judge Jay Sheffield.
Sheffield set Sprinkle’s bail during an initial hearing — by closed-circuit video — last Wednesday.
The 5-foot, 6-inch, 130-pound Sprinkle, of 520 Robbe Road, is accused of assaulting her attorney husband, Charles Sprinkle, initially with pearl-handled kitchen knives, which he was able to take from her.
According to Charles Sprinkle’s report to Sheriff’s Detective Boyd White, Sprinkle then went into a bedroom and retrieved a Winchester model 70 rifle chambered for .257 Roberts caliber ammunition and fired a round in Charles Sprinkle’s presence.
While White’s report clearly alleges Sprinkle assaulted her husband with the knives, it avoids stating Sprinkle aimed the rifle at her husband when she discharged one round in his presence and then a second in the direction of a neighboring home within a tenth-mile and in the direction of law-enforcement officers in the vicinity of their home who had taken up position at the urging of Charles Sprinkle.
Sprinkle, who as of Friday had not made bond, is jailed in the Lincoln County Corrections area.
White’s report of Sprinkle’s actions include first-hand knowledge, as he was among the responding officers during the two-day, 19-hour standoff. The report also includes statements from Charles Sprinkle, specifically incidents in the home before he fled.
According to the report, Gloria Sprinkle had been consuming alcohol up to the point when she moved toward her husband with the two pearl-handled butcher knives.
Allegedly, when Charles Sprinkle was successful in taking the knives away from his wife, Gloria left the room and returned with the rifle, stating, “I should put a bullet in your head.”
White’s report further states, Charles Sprinkle then left the room and Sprinkle went outside and “fired off a round.”
According to Charles Sprinkle’s account written in White’s report, Sprinkle came back into the house and pointed the rifle at her husband. It was at that point Charles Sprinkle left the residence and sought the assistance of police.
Lincoln County Sheriff Roby Bowe subsequently interviewed Charles Sprinkle, and at that time he confessed fearing for his safety in the presence of his wife.
According to White’s report, Gloria Sprinkle fired shots from the southwest corner of the house.
The standoff ended about 3 p.m. last Tuesday after law-enforcement fired three rounds of chemical agents — tear gas — into the home, forcing Gloria Sprinkle to end the standoff.
White’s report indicated police retrieved two pearl-handled butcher knives, a Winchester Model 70 rifle, six live rounds of .257 ammunition and 10 spent rifle casings, matching the description to police given by Charles Sprinkle.
Should Sprinkle be able to post bond, Sheffield set conditions for her release that include:
• remain available at all times;
• remain in contact with the court and/or her attorney;
• her appearance is mandatory at ALL future hearings;
• she must not leave Montana;
• obey all laws;
• not have physical, verbal or written contact with the victim (Charles Sprinkle);
• not consume alcoholic beverages, nor enter bars nor casinos,
• not possess weapons, which includes firearms or knives.
In convicted of each count of assault with a weapon, Gloria Sprinkle can face a fine of up to $50,000 for each offense or imprisonment of up to 20 years for each.
For the criminal endangerment charge, Sprinkle can face a fine of up to $50,000 and /or imprisonment for up to 10 years.
A hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Thursday, April 12.