Libby man sentenced and ordered to treatment court

A Libby man accused of drug crimes was sentenced and ordered to enroll in the Lincoln County Treatment Court after a Monday, July 17 court hearing.

Matthew Manfred Priebe, 32, was charged with one felony count of possession of dangerous drugs and transferring illegal articles, methamphetamine, into the county jail.

Priebe, through his attorney S. Charles Sprinkle, agreed to plead guilty to felony possession in May.

Judge Matt Cuffe delivered a 5-year suspended sentence per the terms of the plea deal with County Attorney Marcia Boris.

“I think this allows us to address a long-standing drug problem,” Cuffe said.

Priebe was ordered to attend and complete the county’s treatment program. He was given credit for serving 159 days in the county jail. Priebe is not allowed to gamble, be in bars or casinos, consume alcohol and illegal drugs. He must also pay $1,080 in fines and costs.

The sentence will run concurrently with convictions he has from cases in 2018 and 2019 for drug possession and burglary.

In the transfer case, Priebe was accused of being involved in a drug smuggling case involving several county jail inmates, including Jason Allen Miller, the man accused of running over Montana Highway Patrol Tpr. Lewis Johnson in February.

According to a supplemental narrative by county deputy James Derryberry, the case began on the evening of March 3 when detention Sgt. Adam Anderson told the officer he had spoken to an inmate in the jail about another inmate, Jesse Gibson, bringing meth into the jail by hiding it in his rectum.

The inmate, who has since been moved to a rehabilitation facility, said Gibson, Priebe and Miller were doing meth and conspiring to take over the jail. The inmate told Sgt. Anderson he didn’t want to be part of it and wanted out of his cell.

In the affidavit, Derryberry said he planned to gather other officers and deescalate the situation. Derryberry was assisted by fellow county deputies John Hyslop, Ben Fisher, Derek Breiland and Tony Jenson, as well as jail staff. Derryberry said he believed Gibson was under the influence of a dangerous drugs. He said he couldn’t speak clearly, follow commands and had twitchy movements with his hands and face. The officer also said his behavior ranged from mild to severe agitation.

Derryberry then spoke to Miller in his cell. The inmate said he didn’t have any dope, there was no dope in his cell and his fellow inmates weren’t planning to take over the jail. When Derryberry heard Gibson becoming agitated, he asked Miller what was happening, Miller replied, “He’s coming off of dope.”

Later, detention officers moved Miller and Priebe into a secured video conference room. Derryberry then searched Gibson’s cell and found a small plastic Ziplock bag hanging off the end of a spork which was stuck into an air vent. The officer said the bag contained a white crystal residue inside it and a light, tinted brown substance smeared on it. The white substance field tested positive for meth.

The inmate who alerted authorities to the alleged offenses then spoke to Derryberry. The inmate said he told Gibson he could have his cell to sober up. He also said he and Gibson went into another cell where Gibson hung a blanket and claimed to have drugs. The inmate left Gibson’s cell and declined to do drugs. According to the inmate, Priebe said, “I’m trying to get (profanity) up.”

The inmate reported that after Gibson got the drugs out of his rectum, Miller, Priebe and Gibson went into a cell and got high. He also reported Priebe bought the dope from Gibson by trading commissary for it. He didn’t see the deal, but reported hearing it.

The inmate also said Priebe is hiding his antidepressant medication in his cheek and then snorting them to get high.

Priebe was also charged with possession of dangerous drugs and one misdemeanor count of drug paraphernalia after being found in a filthy residence in January where two other defendants, James Deloach, 53, and Tonya Lynn Deloach, 47, were living with young children. Priebe's charges were dismissed as part of the plea deal for the drug smuggling case.

The Deloach couple were sentenced to serve time in respective correctional facilities. James Deloach is at a treatment facility in Lewistown, Montana while his wife, Tonya, is at a treatment facility in Billings. She got a 5-year sentence for criminal child endangerment while he received a 10-year term, with five suspended, for distribution of illegal drugs.

According to the charging document filed by Deputy County Attorney Jeffrey Zwang, James and Tonya Deloach were suspected of distributing methamphetamine in Lincoln County for some time.

After an officer with the county conducted two controlled purchases of meth from James Deloach on Jan. 11, officers served a search warrant on the Deloach residence on Jan. 12 and found two children on the couch in the living room area. Priebe and Jessica Whitaker, both known drug users, were located in the back room of the home, according to the charging document.

When officers searched Priebe's backpack, they reported finding his ID, a bag of meth, pills resembling fentanyl and 10 high-end watches. A search of Whittaker’s fanny pack turned up drug paraphernalia, according to court records.

Officers reported the condition of the house was extremely poor. They said the floor was covered with cat urine and feces, rotten food, dirty clothes, other debris and none of the doors in the home could be closed, due to being blocked by debris. Officers used masks and regulated oxygen to complete the search of the home without endangering their health.