Helena Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Conviction of Firearm Crime

A Helena man who admitted to a firearm crime after a welfare check led to him being arrested on a warrant while attempting to flee officers was sentenced today to seven years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Scott Hamilton, 44, pleaded in October 2024 to receipt of a firearm and ammunition with intent to commit a felony. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. In court documents, the government alleged that at 4 a.m. on Dec. 20, 2023, law enforcement officers stopped a man wearing dark clothing and carrying a duffel bag on Montana Highway 12 for a welfare check. The man, identified as Hamilton, told officers he had car trouble and was walking to East Helena. Officers learned there was an active warrant for Hamilton out of Broadwater County. When officers attempted to arrest Hamilton, he fled across the highway and dropped his bag as he ran. Officers pursued and arrested Hamilton and recovered the duffle bag. Inside the duffle bag were two firearms, a .22 caliber revolver and a 9mm pistol, and numerous rounds of ammunition. Hamilton had prior felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing firearms. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.