A 38-year-old man from Columbia Falls, Zachary Matthew Gargasz, is sentenced to four years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm, despite being a convicted felon. This sentence follows Gargasz’s guilty plea in March 2025 for being a prohibited person with a firearm, after previous convictions related to a clandestine drug lab in 2017, which rendered him ineligible to own guns.
During a scheduled visit with his probation officers in December 2023, authorities discovered 11 rounds of .45-caliber ammunition and two loaded AR-style magazines in his vehicle, alongside a loaded handgun found in his home. This case highlights the ongoing challenges law enforcement faces with firearm regulations among previously convicted individuals and raises concerns about public safety and compliance with gun ownership laws.
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