Savage changes plea to guilty

Dan James Savage, Jr., the Troy man who fled town after an Aug. 29 altercation with his girlfriend resulted in an assault charge and his capture in Portland, Ore., has accepted a plea agreement that would allow him freed on his own recognizance.

If approved by the court, the terms of the plea agreement allow for a three-year sentence, all of which has been suspended except with that of the time served. He also was ordered to pay fees and surcharges that amount to $101.

 Savage, 36, was charged with partner assault, a third offense, which makes it a felony; tampering with a communications device, a misdemeanor; and assault. The maximum penalty for the felony partner family assault is five years in prison and a fine of $50,000. The tampering with a communications device penalty is six months in prison and a $1,000 fine. Savage will be back in court at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 17 to hear whether the court will accept the a.m. Jan. 17 to hear whether the court will accept the plea agreement.

Savage’s case history is one filled with bizarre twists.

After the Aug. 29 assault, Savage fled Troy. About three days later, his girlfriend, Sandra Laffoon, the woman he is accused of assaulting, followed him to Spokane. Later the couple moved to Portland where he was arrested by Portland police without incident at a laundromat. While in Portland police custody, Savage fought extradition to Montana, ultimately arriving back in Lincoln County on Nov. 1.

After Savage’s arrest, Laffoon alleged a bizarre story that she and Savage concocted a plot to trick local law enforcement in falsely arresting Savage. Weeks after Savage’s arrest, Laffoon admitted to having different feelings about Savage and said she has not contacted him after about the time of his arraignment.

Savage’s late summer run-in with the law is not his first. On Jan. 10, he was acquitted in 19th Judicial District Court of three counts, the first being assault of a partner or family member; the second of tampering with a witness; and a third count of stalking.

About 22 months ago, Savage was beaten severely and left bleeding in the snow outside the Troy VFW. Savage’s brain swelled as a result of that beating, and he spent time recovering in a Kalispell hospital. Coincidentally, both he and Laffoon have worked at the VFW where Savage served as a deejay and provided karaoke.

Also, Savage was charged with felony partner or family-member assault on July 11, 2010. The charge was dismissed without prejudice on Sept. 10, 2010, by the Justice Court of Lincoln County.

In December 2008, Savage pleaded no contest to partner or family-member assault.