A Libby man accused of smoking methamphetamine in the presence of children the morning of Thanksgiving 2025, slipped away from one felony charge after agreeing to plead guilty to another.

Abraham Abijah Ingraham, 29, originally faced a felony count of child endangerment while using methamphetamine. He appeared for arraignment on the charge and pleaded not guilty Monday, Jan. 26, in Lincoln County District Court.

But at a March 30 court hearing, Ingraham agreed to plead guilty to another felony from an incident in September 2025 in exchange for the dismissal of the child endangerment charge.

Ingraham sought and received his release on his own recognizance from the county jail after defense attorney Maury Solomon and deputy county attorney Jeff Zwang agreed to the motion. They also agreed that Ingraham could return to the home where his wife and the children reside.

District Judge Matt Cuffe set sentencing for June 1. According to a court filing, a plea deal called for a 4-year suspended term.

Ingraham was lodged in the Lincoln County Detention Center on Jan. 2 after a warrant was issued for his arrest following a Dec. 31, 2025, court filing seeking to revoke his release on bond following the accusation he was smoking meth in the presence of children.

Abraham posted a $125,000 bond on Oct. 6 following an incident where he allegedly threatened multiple people with a gun at an apartment Sept. 8, 2025, on Mineral Avenue.

Ingraham faced five counts, including two felonies, after the Sept. 8 incident. The felony charges include assault with a weapon and criminal endangerment. The misdemeanor counts were for obstruction, driving on a suspended license and one for assault, purposely or knowingly making physical contact of an insulting or provoking nature. 

Two misdemeanor assault counts were dismissed in October.

With the exception of the endangerment charge, the rest were dismissed.

In the most recent case, Libby police officers Vince Smart and Tim Steffenson reported to the emergency room at Cabinet Peaks Medical Center Nov. 28 after a report that two children were exposed to meth. They spoke to the children’s father and their paternal grandmother. 

The grandmother said she received a call to pick up the children from a neighbor of the mother because she was having an emergency.

The child’s father said he saw behaviors and symptoms that led him to believe they may have been exposed to dangerous drugs. He also told the officers the children’s mother, Haley Hickman, recently married Ingraham and he lived in her apartment. 

Hickman pleaded guilty in 2024 to stealing items from packages while working as a mail carrier subcontractor. The items included Veterans Affairs (VA) medication, collectors' coins and children’s clothes.

Hickman is still on probation for the offense. 

According to the police reports, following a urine test, it was determined one of the children suffered exposure to meth. When Hickman arrived at the hospital and was told one of her kids tested positive for ingesting meth, she was described as being visibly distraught. 

She said she caught Ingraham smoking meth inside her apartment on the morning of Nov. 27, Thanksgiving day, while the kids were home. She said she fought with Ingraham.

Ingraham first ran afoul of the law in 2019 when he fatally shot a pet cat. He agreed to an Alford plea on the criminal endangerment charge in January 2020 that resulted from the fatal shooting of a pet cat.

In the September 2025 gun case, a Libby police officer was dispatched to a location on Mineral Avenue after someone reported a man driving through a yard, getting into a fight and waving a gun around.

The officer spoke to three individuals who were outside the apartments when Abraham allegedly drove his truck into the yard and parked. One of the men said the defendant said, “why don’t you roll the hose up,” or similar words. The Abraham sprayed the men with water from the hose, according to the affidavit. 

One of the alleged victims said Abraham approached him, took a swing at him, but missed. The man said he hit Abraham with the palm of his hand and tried to back away. One of the other alleged victims said Abraham drew a handgun, racked the slide to chamber a round before he approached one of the men, put the gun to his head and said, “Bang. You’re a (profanity) dead man.”

One of the alleged victims said Abraham was waving a gun around when his young son opened the door. He said he placed himself between Abraham and his son because he was afraid the child would be shot.

Abraham was soon located at a local gas station where a number of officers told him to get on the ground. They reported that he didn’t listen to their orders and began to reach into his pockets. County deputy Chris Pape then tasered Abraham and the officers were able to arrest him.

Officer Thomas then spoke with a woman who was riding in Abraham’s truck. She said she was at the apartment, but didn’t see most of the altercation. She said after the altercation, they left in Abraham’s truck. He allegedly told her he was going to ram a car, but she said “no” to the idea.

The officer then learned Abraham’s license and privilege to drive in Montana was suspended.

Six years ago, Ingraham was accused of fatally shooting a cat in a residential neighborhood. He agreed to an Alford plea on the criminal endangerment charge in January 2020. An Alford plea is when a defendant acknowledges a judge or jury likely would find him or her guilty based on the evidence. Although it is a guilty plea, the defendant maintains innocence.

Abraham received a 2-year deferred sentence.

Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office deputies began investigating the incident Aug. 23, 2019, after learning a pet cat was shot and killed. A deputy met with a resident who reported hearing a gunshot and went outside to find a pet cat in its death throes.

The resident also saw a man standing nearby with a rifle in his hands, court documents said. He told the officer that he chased the man to a nearby cabin and confronted him, but the alleged shooter denied involvement.

The deputy confirmed the death of the cat and took down a description of the armed man and his vehicle, which he recognized as matching Ingraham, court documents said. Several children playing nearby said they saw Ingraham fire the rifle, the deputy wrote in the affidavit.

Libby Justice Court records indicate Abraham was guilty of disorderly conduct in 2018 and guilty of driving without a license in 2017. In a 2018 careless driving case, an $85 bond was forfeited, which typically means the defendant failed to appear.

In Lincoln County Justice Court, Abraham had a pending case for driving without insurance. He forfeited a bond in 2023 after being charged with driving an unregistered vehicle.