Bad check writer gets 15 years

A 35-year-old Kalispell woman has been sentenced to 10 years with the Department of Corrections for writing bad checks and five years in prison for bail jumping, all concurrent and suspended.

Flathead County District Court Judge Robert Allison sentenced Rachel Matt on April 16. He gave Matt credit for 139 days of jail time served and ordered her to enroll in mental health counseling.

Matt received a nine-year deferred net sentence on Nov. 6, 2014 for writing 18 bad checks at the Los Caporales restaurant in Kalispell from Nov. 1 through Nov. 20, 2013 and for bail-jumping.

In November, Allison ordered Matt to pay $7,340 in restitution and $400 in public defender fees. She had faced up to 10 years in prison for the felony bad check charge.

While released on her own recognizance following her arrest on the bad check charge, Matt and her boyfriend were charged with partner-family member assault following a disturbance at their Kalispell residence in July 2014.

When Matt didn’t show up for a revocation hearing, Allison issued a bench warrant with a $100,000 bond. She appeared in court on Sept. 30 and was sentenced on Nov. 6 as per a June plea agreement.

On Dec. 16, 2014, however, Matt failed to show up at the Montana Probation and Parole Office in Kalispell to sign a form stating her probation conditions. Her probation officer said he never saw her again.

A petition to revoke her deferred sentence was filed Dec. 19, and Allison issued a bench warrant with a $50,000 bond.

Matt appeared before Allison on Feb. 19 and admitted that the probation violation allegations were true. Allison revoked her deferred sentence, denied her release from the county jail and set a revocation hearing for March 5.