Great Falls man sentenced to 15 years in prison for illegal possession of firearm

GREAT FALLS - A Great Falls man who was prohibited from possessing firearms was sentenced yesterday to 180 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.

During an October 2025 trial, a jury found Daniel Lee Evenson, 35, guilty of one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

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

The government alleged in court documents and at trial that in September 2023, Daniel Lee Evenson, a convicted felon on state supervision, was the suspect of new crimes in the Great Falls area. As part of the investigation, law enforcement searched Evenson's residence and seized a loaded, 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol from a floor vent in his bedroom. The pistol was stolen from a local vehicle in June 2023. During Evenson's interview, he acknowledged his prior felony convictions, his prohibition from possessing firearms, and the stolen nature of the 9mm pistol.

Evenson further acknowledged committing two hotel robberies with a BB gun but ultimately denied committing a third robbery. Evenson acknowledged being on probation since around 2017 or 2018. Evenson knew roughly what neighborhood the firearm came from but claimed he did not steal it. When officers showed him a photograph of the 9mm pistol, Evenson acknowledged it was the same firearm found in the vent in his bedroom.

At the time of the offense, Evenson had been convicted of at least three prior offenses for violent felonies.

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

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

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