Johns sentence for theft revoked

Danke Marie Johns’ suspended sentence was revoked in Judge Molly Owen’s court on July 5. Johns was committed to the Department of Corrections for three years with the recommendation that she be committed to Passages, a women’s corrections program in Billings which includes inpatient alcohol and drug treatment.

Johns received credit for 132 days street time and 40 days served in jail.

Johns’ case began on May 30, 2018, when an Adult Probation and Parole officer reported that Johns had told another probation officer that she was embezzling money from a local business. When the business was contacted, the manager said Johns had only worked a short time at the business and had been terminated for tardiness.

A review of till videos showed Johns had been fraudulently entering sales and returns. She would make false returns and hand them out to other people or put the return on her credit card or on gift cards given to other people – one of whom was her roommate at the time.

The thefts took place between April 12 and May 18, 2019. The total amount the business could attribute to Johns was $4,160.09. She was charged with one count of felony theft.

Then, on March 16, 2019, a person contacted law enforcement to say that items from his house had been stolen, along with his wallet and checkbook. Johns was the victim’s caretaker, and he believed she had taken the items, which were valued at more than $1,500. Law enforcement contacted Johns that same day and asked if she had taken the items without the victim’s permission. She got the items from her vehicle and gave them to the officer.

She was charged with another count of felony theft. In a plea agreement Johns agreed to plead guilty to both counts. On Jan. 15, 2000, she was sentenced to the Department of Corrections for three years with all suspended except for time served. Johns also was on probation for theft from another jurisdiction.

On June 1, 2023, a petition to revoke was filed in District Court. Johns began serving her Probation and Parole on Sept. 26, 2022, and her supervision was transferred to Livingston.

On May 25, she was cited for a DUI in Livingston, third offense, a misdemeanor, and also for driving with a suspended or revoked license, second offense, a misdemeanor. A third alleged violation of her parole was a BAC of .343%.

On April 27, she was admitted to the Montana Chemical Dependency Center in Butte and completed the program May 22. She reported to the Livingston Probation and Parole Office a few days later, and later that day, was arrested and cited for her third DUI and driving with a license suspended/revoked, resulting in the request to revoke her suspended sentence.

Nybo sentenced to six months for theft

Wlliam Clay Nybo, 66, was in Judge Molly Owen’s court on July 5 for sentencing on a burglary charge.

Originally charged with one count of felony burglary, Nybo’s charge was reduced to misdemeanor criminal trespass to property in a plea bargain. He was committed to the Lake County Jail for six months, with six months suspended, and ordered to pay $500 of restitution to the victim within the next five months

On March 4, 2023, a person contacted law enforcement and reported that Nybo had entered her residence and taken some jewelry without her permission. The person said she and Nybo had been in a relationship some years ago, and he had given her the jewelry. She had asked Nybo to take care of a plant for her while she was spending a month in Arizona. When she returned from Arizona, he returned the plant. The victim roticed the jewelry was gone and asked Nybo if he had taken the jewelry. He said that he had taken the jewelry and sold it. The victim said she had not given Nybo permission to go into her dwelling or to take the jewelry.