C-Falls man cycles in and out of prison

A 34-year-old Columbia Falls man who's been in and out of prison several times since he was sentenced for forgery and theft in 1997 could be heading back to prison now that his original sentence has been revoked for the second time.

According to court documents, Jason Shewalter's criminal history began in August 1996 when he used three forged checks totaling $1,004 at Fred Meyer's and Tidymans.

While out of jail on his own recognizance in August and September 1996, Shewalter and Paul Hayes allegedly broke into numerous parked vehicles in Whitefish, smashing their windows. They then used six stolen checks from one of the vehicles totaling $180, treating friends at fast food restaurants .

Shewalter's release was revoked and he was charged with two counts of felony forgery and one count of felony theft. On Jan. 24, 1997, Flathead County District Court Judge Ted Lympus gave Shewalter a five-year net prison sentence with a recommendation for boot camp. Shewalter was also ordered to pay $7,728 in restitution, a $1,000 fine and $500 in public defender fees.

In recommending boot camp, Lympus noted that Shewalter "lacks the resources and discipline necessary to satisfactorily complete a probationary sentence." Shewalter, he said, did not finish high school, had no job or permanent residence, had chemical dependency issues and a poor attitude, and associated with "questionable peers."

Shortly after arriving at Swan River Correctional Training Center in April 1997, staff noted that Shewalter wanted to quit the program, was in "poor physical shape and lazy," was written up for insolence and for throwing a tray in chow hall, and swore at drill instructors. He was also caught with contraband - dice - while in temporary lock-up.

Shewalter's stay at Swan River was terminated, and he was sent to prison. Released in June 1999, he stayed out of trouble for four months in Kalispell. But within two months after moving to Missoula, he was cited for at least 25 probation violations - including no job or residence and failing a urinalysis test for marijuana. His whereabouts became unknown until he made a phone call from California in January 2000.

Shewalter was back in jail Jan. 3, 2006, after he was arrested in Lake County and charged with felony possession of dangerous drugs with intent to distribute. Lake County District Court Judge Deborah Christopher sentenced Shewalter to 10 years with eight suspended, and Flathead County District Court Judge Stewart Stadler revoked and then reinstated Shewalter's earlier forgery and theft sentences and recommended boot camp.

Treasure State Correctional Center, however, wouldn't accept Shewalter in September 2007 because there was blood in his urine, and he was sent back to prison. A year later, he went to a halfway house in Gallatin County but was rejected and returned to prison. Two months later he was sent back to Treasure State, but he was returned to prison the very next day.

Finally, in April 2009, Shewalter was sent to a pre-release center in Billings. A month later, he found himself back in Kalispell, but he continued not to pay his court-ordered obligations from 1997. A probation officer noted that "the irony is every time he is contacted, there is always a lingering odor of marijuana, showing he has the time and money for marijuana, but nothing else."

Then, on Sept. 24 last year, Shewalter was stopped while speeding on Fourth Avenue West in Columbia Falls. He was arrested and charged with DUI, possession of dangerous drugs, obstructing and resisting an officer, and driving with no insurance or driver's license.

Back in Judge Stadler's court on Jan. 26, Shewalter's earlier Flathead County sentences were revoked one more time. His dispositional hearing is scheduled for March 1.