Woman sentenced for criminal child endangerment

Judge Molly Owen sentenced Ashley Ann Cardoza, 30, on Aug. 2, following a plea agreement in which she pleaded guilty to one count of felony criminal child endangerment. She was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for three years with all suspended. Two felony counts of criminal child endangerment were dismissed.

As part of her suspended sentence, Cardoza is required to enroll in, pay for, and complete a parenting class and the ACT class. She also needs to obtain a chemical dependency evaluation and follow all the recommendations, as well as pay for and comply with a SCRAM bracelet program for three years.

Cardoza’s case stemmed from a citizen complaint on Nov. 22, 2022. At about 4:45 p.m. a law enforcement officer responded to the complaint that a car was running in a business parking lot with two adults passed out in the front seat and three children in the back seat.

The officer found the car and saw a woman, later identified as Ashley Ann Cardoza, unconscious, slumped over against a male passenger who was also unconscious, with three small kids in the back seat. The officer tried to rouse Cardoza but could not wake her. According to the report, she was completely limp and in a comatose state.

Child Protective Services was called to care for the children, ages 3, 5 and 9.

Transported to the hospital, Cardoza refused a request for a blood draw, and the officer obtained a warrant. Hospital personnel would not release Cardozo to law enforcement because her blood alcohol level was so high she needed constant monitoring to make sure she did not die.

The comatose male was identified. He was on probation, had a warrant, and a BAC of .250. The male's probation officer requested a search of the vehicle, where officers found alcohol containers.

Cardoza was subsequently charged with three felony counts of criminal child endangerment.

Matt receives five-year sentence on drug charge

Aaron Douglas Matt appeared for sentencing in Judge Molly Owen’s court on Aug. 2 on one count of felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs. As per the plea agreement, Matt was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for five years with none suspended to run concurrently with his present sentence.

Matt will be screened for admission to NEXUS Treatment Center followed by placement in a pre-release center.

Matt’s original case was on Nov. 30, 2002, when Matt hit a tribal police officer with a chair. He was charged with one count of felony assault with a weapon and one count of felony assault on a peace officer. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced April 8, 2003 to the Montana State Prison for 20 years on the count of felony assault with a weapon, with 10 years suspended. For felony assault on a peace officer, Matt was sentenced to 10 years in MSP with none suspended.

The sentences were to run concurrently. As part of the sentence, when Matt was released from MSP, he needed to register with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department as a violent offender.

On Sept. 17, 2019, an official with the Montana Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigations tried to contact Matt at his last address. He was charged with one count of felony failure to register as a sexual or violent offender.

Matt entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Lake County Attorney’s Office for one year in 2018. The state agreed to dismiss one felony count of failure to register. In return Matt was to attend and successfully complete a chemical dependency and aftercare program. He needed to comply with all probation and parole requirements, including, blood, breath or urine tests. He was to have no contact with the victim. If Matt violated the agreement, the state could re-file and prosecute.

His latest case began on Jan. 31 when law enforcement officers saw a woman driving a vehicle and knew she did not have a valid driver’s license so they executed a traffic stop. The officers saw the only passenger was Matt, who the officers knew to be on probation.

They contracted Matt’s probation officer, who said Matt had absconded and requested the officers search Matt’s person. One of the officers found a baggie of methamphetamine in Matt’s pants pocket. Matt was charged with one count of felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs.