Libby man wanted after skipping theft sentencing

Repeat failures to appear in Montana 19th Judicial District Court have resulted in two bench warrants for a Libby man.

John Boothman was scheduled to appear Monday for an arraignment and a sentencing.

County Attorney Marcia Boris told Judge Matt Cuffe that Boothman had bonded out of custody last week.

Attorney Scott Johnson said he was unable to contact Boothman in the previous week.

This is the second time Boothman has failed to appear for his arraignment. His previous sentencing on June 25 was rescheduled due to his lack of an attorney.

When Boothman failed to show Monday, Cuffe issued two bench warrants for Boothman.

Boothman was due to be sentenced for a felony theft charge related to an $8,000 pump that was taken from the Port Authority in Libby. He was to be arraigned for failure to register as a violent offender.

The theft charge originated from a Nov. 14 conversation between Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy Kirk Kraft and Boothman’s former girlfriend, Heather Marx.

Marx spoke with Kraft regarding concerns Boothman would damage her property after they broke up, according at an affidavit from Kraft. During the conversation, Marx told Kraft that Boothman had a pump that he had stolen.

Marx alleged Boothman stole the pump from the Port Authority in July 2017.

According to the affidavit, Boothman told Marx not to tell anyone about the pump, and that he needed it for his bulldozer. Marx told Kraft that Boothman had beat her previously, and that she was afraid of him.

Kraft found a report from July 11, 2017 of the theft of a pump from the Port Authority.

Kraft drove to Boothman’s home and saw a pump matching the theft description.

Boothman said he did not know how it got there.

Kraft said Boothman changed his story multiple times, saying the pump belonged to his uncle, that someone from Troy whose name he did not know sold it to him, and that “it was through a drug deal (expletive).”

Boothman told Kraft he had a doctor’s appointment and would come to the Sheriff’s Office after.

The Sheriff’s Office returned the pump to the owner.

On Dec. 1, Kraft requested a warrant for Boothman because he had not scheduled a follow-up interview.

Boothman was also due to be arraigned Monday for allegations he failed to register as a violent offender, a felony.

According to his affidavit, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Detective David Hall went with deputies and Libby police to Boothman’s mother’s address on June 6 to look for Boothman, who was wanted on a felony arrest warrant for failing to check in with his probation officer.

Boothman’s mother told the detective and deputies that Boothman was out picking mushrooms.

The next day, Libby Police Officer Darren Short responded to the home along with deputies in response to a tip that Boothman was there. On his body camera, Short recorded Boothman’s father saying that Boothman was not living there.

On June 13, Hall requested an arrest warrant for Boothman as a noncompliant offender.