Libby man to serve 30 months in federal prison

Jeremiah Robert Kendall of Libby will spend 30 months in a federal prison in Sheridan, Oregon after pleading guilty Aug. 10 to possessing a firearm while being subject to a restraining order.

The charge arose after a search warrant from the United States District Court of Montana was executed June 23, 2016 at Kendall’s residence at 443 Libby Creek Rd. in Libby, according to an affidavit filed by Mark Triplett, a senior special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Eighteen firearms and about 60 pounds of ammunition were seized that day.

Kendall was on probation after being convicted of several partner family member assault charges in 2006, 2008 and 2014. On Feb. 2, 2015, a Lincoln County judge issued a permanent order of protection against Kendall, prohibiting him from owning firearms.

As a result of the search warrant, Kendall was arrested and booked into Missoula County jail on July 7, 2016.

In the months prior to his July 16 arrest Kendall had numerous run-ins with the law in Libby. Among them, he was arrested May 25, 2016, and charged with one misdemeanor count each of assault, obstructing a peace officer and escape. The assault charge stemmed from an incident the previous week in which Kendall allegedly assaulted a man at a gas station near Libby, while the latter two charges resulted from Kendall’s fleeing when served with an arrest warrant.

Less than a month later, Kendall was arrested on suspicion of felony drug possession and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia after a Lincoln County sheriff’s deputy allegedly found methamphetamine while executing a search warrant June 23 at Kendall’s home.