A day before she was to be sentenced, the former owner of the historic Somers mansion was acquitted by a judge of mail fraud and conspiracy.

In a two-page order issued Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy granted motions for acquittal filed on behalf of Christin D. Didier and codefendant Surayya Nasir.

Didier was convicted by a federal jury in March of seven counts of mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Nasir, of Fergus County, was found guilty of one count each of mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud.

Tuesday’s order, which came as the result of standard filings from each defendant’s attorney, overturns that verdict.

“I’ve never had this happen before. I’m elated,” Colin Stephens, Didier’s attorney, said on Tuesday. “[Didier] just had her first child a month ago, so she wasn’t looking forward to a stressful sentencing hearing tomorrow morning, so there was great joy and tears.”

Didier had been charged in September 2012 for misrepresenting herself to her insurance company and its representatives over the course of seven months in 2008, persuading them to improperly pay for her temporary housing.

Didier, a Lewistown native who was named Miss Montana at age 24 in 1997, bought the Somers mansion in 2005 for $1.1 million.

While she owned the mansion, it was damaged by a windstorm and a minor fire. She eventually was forced to file for bankruptcy and the mansion was foreclosed on in February 2011.

At the same time that Didier was evicted — September of last year — the federal government was preparing its case against her.

Didier and Nasir were alleged to have told Didier’s insurance company that, during seven months of 2008 while repairs on the mansion were being completed, her temporary residence was a 6,900-square-foot home with five bedrooms, two baths and an in-ground pool, while it was really an 860-square-foot cabin with no indoor plumbing and no pool.

The pair allegedly collected $15,250 per month for temporary housing.

Seven checks totaling $122,791 were issued to Didier and mailed from Illinois to Montana, hence the seven counts of mail fraud. One check for $10,875 was mailed to Nasir.

Stephens argued during Didier’s trial that she did not act deviously to cheat the insurance company but was mentally impaired. He said the company that repaired the fire damage at the mansion used diesel generators that exposed Didier to carbon monoxide.

Two doctors testified that the exposure caused Didier to suffer from “significant mental impairment.”

According to Stephens, Judge Molloy eventually will issue a final judgment that Stephens believes will include a fairly lengthy explanation of his decision to grant the motion.

Molloy also conditionally granted a motion for a new trial for Nasir, who was convicted of one count each of mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud.

A representative of the U.S. Attorney’s Office said the agency had no comment on the ruling, and attempts to contact Didier were unsuccessful.

Reporter Jesse Davis may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at jdavis@dailyinterlake.com.