Burglar's sentence revoked for 2nd time

A 38-year-old former Columbia Heights resident had his sentence for felony burglary revoked for the second time after he returned to Flathead County from Alaska to face charges.

Anthony Gorder was initially charged with three felony counts of burglary in April 1992 for breaking into a residence on Del Rey Road in Whitefish, the East Edgewood Storage business in Whitefish and the East Lamplighter House treatment center in Kalispell.

Following a plea agreement, Gorder pleaded guilty to two of the felony counts. He was sentenced by Flathead County District Court Judge Ted Lympus in May 1993 to 20 years in prison for each count, concurrent with 13 years suspended and a recommendation for placement at the Swan River Youth Camp. Gorder was also ordered to pay $16,683 in restitution.

In his sentencing order, Lympus noted that Gorder “has a disturbing criminal history as a juvenile, having committed numerous property crimes.” In addition to the two burglaries he pleaded guilty to, Gorder had admitted to 13-14 other burglaries in the Flathead, Lympus said, including the “senseless vandalism of a church which he burglarized.” Lympus also noted that Gorder “has not paid a dime in restitution” since his arrest.

Gorder was discharged from prison in February 1997 and began his 13 years of probation. Nine months later, his probation officer cited numerous violations and recommended Gorder’s sentence be revoked.

Violations included moving without permission, not finding work, failing to file reports, pleading guilty to a misdemeanor drug possession charge, admitting to using LSD, testing positive to marijuana, cocaine and opiates, failing to attend drug treatment classes, and failing to make restitution or supervision fee payments.

Lympus revoked Gorder’s sentence in January 1998 and re-sentenced him to five years with the Department of Corrections and eight years in prison, all suspended with a recommendation that he complete drug treatment and go to a pre-release center.

According to an April 1998 report by the Treasure State Correctional Training Center in Deer Lodge, this was Gorder’s second attempt there and he wasn’t ready. The report said Gorder was “lazy and looked for excuses to do as little as possible.”

In May 2000, Gorder was accepted under the state of Alaska’s supervision compact with Montana and he headed north. According to a January 2004 Montana probation report, however, Gorder was found in possession of weapons and marijuana, drove without insurance and had a marijuana grow operation at his residence. Alaska notified Montana it no longer wanted to oversee Gorder.

Noting that Gorder also failed to pay on his restitution and attend drug treatment classes, the state of Montana petitioned to revoke Gorder’s sentence a second time. A letter was sent to Gorder in March 2004 ordering him to return to the Flathead, but he was never extradited.

Eight years later, in September 2012, Gorder’s attorney filed a motion to credit Gorder for time served, but the motion was denied. On Nov. 21, District Court Judge Stewart Stadler revoked Gorder’s sentence for the second time and re-sentenced him to eight years with the Department of Corrections, all suspended with previous conditions re-imposed.