Canyon man sentenced for theft, drugs
<p>Thomas Rupert, 20, of Hungry Horse, was sentenced for theft and possession of illegal drugs on Feb. 23.</p>
A 20-year-old Hungry Horse man was given two concurrent five-year sentences with the Montana Department of Corrections for his role in a robbery last May and possession of illegal drugs while out on bond last August.
According to court documents, deputies were dispatched to find Thomas Rupert on May 4, 2011, after his mother called and said her son was scared to leave his home because he owed $400 to a man named Joshua Rosalez.
Discovering that Rupert had active Flathead County warrants for assault and failure to appear, two deputies performed a felony traffic stop on a green Dodge pickup truck traveling from Hungry Horse to Martin City.
Three males exited the pickup — Rosalez, Terrance Thompson and a man who claimed to be Jake Chamberlain but turned out to be Rupert. A BB gun that resembled a Beretta 92F handgun was found on the floorboard. Rupert apologized after he was arrested for lying about his name.
Later the same day, two other deputies were dispatched to a trailer on First Street South in Hungry Horse where a man said he had been assaulted earlier in the day by Rupert and a man named “Josh.” The man said “Josh” was carrying a shotgun.
The man had small lacerations on his head and bloody pants. He said the two men acted as “enforcers” and demanded $1,400 for a five-year-old drug deal. The victim said he didn’t owe any money, and a fight broke out. The victim said he was struck in the head from behind by the shotgun and wound up wrestling the two men under the kitchen table.
Finally, the victim said, he chased the two men out of his trailer, and they departed in a green Dodge pickup. He also showed the deputies a part belonging to a BB gun. Piecing together the two stories, deputies at the felony traffic stop searched the pickup truck and found a shotgun.
Rupert was charged with one count each of felony robbery, felony assault with a weapon and felony obstruction of an officer. He faced up to 40 years for the robbery charge.
Rupert got in trouble a few months later while out on bond. Deputies were dispatched to Rupert’s home on Aug. 27, 2011, after his mother called and reported that her son had “flipped out” and was scaring her. Rupert grabbed the phone away from her and said he was “certifiable crazy” and needed help. He also told a deputy on the line to come and arrest him.
Rupert, however, refused to cooperate when deputies arrived at his home. He clinched his fists and yelled, “Take me to prison.” When he started to run toward his mother, a deputy deployed his Taser and another handcuffed Rupert behind his back.
As he remained combative, deputies also shackled Rupert’s legs. A search for weapons uncovered four syringes in Rupert’s shorts pocket. Another search at the county jail uncovered a pill in his shorts pocket that was identified as a 20 mg amphetamine pill.
Rupert was charged with one count of felony drug possession and misdemeanor counts of drug paraphernalia possession, obstructing a police officer and tampering with a communication device. He faced up to five years for the drug charge.
Following a Dec. 1, 2011, plea agreement, Rupert faced amended and reduced charges of felony burglary for the home invasion and felony drug possession. Flathead County District Court Judge Katherine Curtis sentenced Rupert on Feb. 23.
Rosalez awaits sentencing for his alleged role in the Hungry Horse home invasion and for allegedly stealing a Honda Civic in October 2011 and fleeing west out of Kalispell at 90 mph. According to court records, deputies found marijuana and methamphetamine in the stolen vehicle.