The warrants were issued one day after former Grizzly football player Qwenton J. Freeman pleaded guilty to two charges related to the Nov. 5 incident at 533 S. Sixth St. E.
Late Friday afternoon, Chief Deputy Missoula County Attorney Kirsten Pabst LaCroix filed charges against Donald J. Byrnes and Ronald Powell Jr. Powell had previously been known to Missoula authorities only by the nickname “Dirty.”
Byrnes and Powell are the seventh and eighth men charged in the case. The other six, including Grizzly players Greg Coleman, Mike Shelton and Jeramy Pate, have pleaded guilty. The other men pleading guilty are Levi Woods and Mark Whetstone.
During the break-in, one occupant of the house was repeatedly pistol-whipped and a woman was confined with duct tape. The motive for the robbery was the theft of drugs and money, court records state.
In court records filed Friday, the 27-year-old Powell was identified by another defendant as the suspect who allegedly did the pistol-whipping.
Byrnes, who had been a UM student but allegedly fled to Ohio after the robbery, is identified as playing a planning role in the robbery, according to court documents. Other defendants told police that the plan called for Byrnes to go to the house in advance of the robbery, buy marijuana from the occupant, then relay information to the other men.
The warrants were signed Friday by District Judge Dusty Deschamps. Bail is set at $200,000 for Powell, $100,000 for Byrnes.
Reporter Michael Moore can be reached at 523-5252 or at mmoore@missoulian.com
|
 |
 |
Add your comment now! Write your comment in the form below.
(Email address is for verification only. If you'd like to email a story, look for the link above)