Box Elder man sentenced to more than 2 years in prison for unlawfully possessing handgun

GREAT FALLS - A Box Elder man who previously had been convicted of multiple felonies and was found with a handgun was sentenced today to two years and 10 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Scott Twito said.

Celestion Charlie Ortega, 40, pleaded guilty in April 2026 to unlawfully possessing a firearm.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

The government alleged in court documents that Ortega, who has been convicted of five previous felonies, was discovered by law enforcement in a Great Falls parking lot at 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 29, 2025, after someone reported seeing him peering into cars with a handgun.

Ortega at first pretended to be asleep but then cooperated with officers, who searched Ortega's vehicle and found a loaded Hi-Point 9mm pistol between the front right and rear passenger seats on the floorboard. Officers then searched Ortega and found a round of ammunition in his back pocket.

The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. The Great Falls Police Department, Montana Department of Corrections Probation and Parole, and ATF conducted the investigation.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.