Former miner is sentenced to one year in federal prison

Daniel Ryan Jenkins, 37, a Troy man charged with stealing blasting-cap explosives from the Troy Mine in late December, was sentenced to a year in federal prison in California on Friday, July 20, in Missoula.

Jenkins, who has been held since his Dec. 29 arrest, will not get time-served taken off his sentence. He also voluntarily chose to recommit to a substance-abuse treatment plan after his release.

Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks; any criminal activity involving explosives must be reported to the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) within 24 hours of something being noticed amiss.

   Jenkins stuck a few blasting caps in his pocket after work and used them to blow up a tree stump with his 8-year-old son present.

   The ATF laws and regulations define the act of stealing explosives and using them as two separate crimes, punishable with a combined maximum of 15 years in federal prison.

   Because of the nature of Jenkins’ crime, he was given only the year in a federal detention center.

 After the blasting-caps were reported missing, Jenkins was arrested by Lincoln County Sherriff’s Officers, and was handed over to ATF agents.

   His sentencing came at the Montana District Court in Missoula.

   According to Revett Minerals, Inc. President and CEO John Shanahan, Jenkins had worked at the Troy Mine for a year before stealing the explosives, and never had any prior incidents requiring disciplinary action before. His employment was immediately terminated following the incident.

   Shanahan recapped the time since the incident.

   “We were fully in compliance with the ATF, and out procedure for dealing with explosives has not changed,” he said. “What has changed is we have made clear to every employee that tampering with explosives is a federal offense. It would not be tolerated.”