C-Falls men face burglary charges
Two Columbia Falls men face felony burglary charges relating to the theft of about $16,000 in cash, guns, scopes and other optical equipment from a Kalispell pawn shop.
Virgil Matt, 21, and Joshua McCormick each face up to 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine. Both pleaded not guilty in Flathead County District Court.
According to court documents, the owners of Anything Pawn, a new pawn shop on Kelly Road in Kalispell, discovered the break-in on June 22. Surveillance video showed a male with a flashlight enter the store at 1:26 a.m. and place items in a duffel bag.
The owners reported $1,250 in cash was missing, along with 16 guns, six scopes and other optical equipment. The guns included handguns, shotguns, bolt-action rifles and semi-automatic rifles.
Matt was arrested by a Lake County sheriff’s deputy on July 16 following a traffic stop near Elmo. The deputy said he detected the odor of marijuana when the driver stepped out of the vehicle.
Matt allegedly gave the deputy permission to search his silver Nissan car. Marijuana was discovered in the driver’s side door pocket, and a Kimber .45-caliber ACP pistol was found under the driver’s seat. The pistol had been reported stolen from another Kalispell pawn shop, Wooden Nickel Pawn on U.S. 93 South.
The deputy also found a Sig Sauer .22-caliber handgun under the passenger seat and a Remington M-87C shotgun in the trunk. Both guns were reported stolen from Anything Pawn. The deputy also found suspected burglary tools, including a modified coat hanger, several pairs of bolt cutters, a two-way radio and face masks.
When questioned, Matt allegedly admitted to being involved with the Kalispell burglaries and acknowledged that the radio was used for communication during burglaries. Matt’s passenger, Joseph Lesmeister, was also questioned.
Police followed up by searching Matt’s apartment in Kalispell. Seven firearms and four detachable scopes were found in the initial search, several of which were reported stolen from Anything Pawn.
When questioned at the Lake County Detention Center on July 17, Matt allegedly described how he and three companions — Joshua McCormick, Larry McCormick and Lesmeister — broke into the Anything Pawn store. He said they pried open the roll-up door and cut the lock on the welded-rebar gate.
Joshua McCormick also faces a felony drug charge after a Columbia Falls police officer allegedly found him in possession of 95.2 grams marijuana by the Red Bridge on April 25. McCormick faces up to five years in jail and a $50,000 fine if convicted of that charge.