C-Falls man sentenced to five years for burglary and meth

A 25-year-old Columbia Falls man charged with burglarizing Pick’s Bowling Center in Bigfork and Gardner’s RV and Trailer Center in Kalispell and with selling methamphetamine to an undercover agent, all last October, was given a combined sentence of five years in prison with 10 years probation.

Jan Vondrich was sentenced by Flathead County District Court Judge Katherine Curtis on July 12. He was also ordered to pay about $2,000 in fines, $2,500 in restitution to Pick’s and $13,470 in restitution to Gardner’s. The latter was to be paid in conjunction with a co-defendant.

According to court documents, surveillance cameras recorded suspects enter Pick’s through a small window on Oct. 23, 2011. Using keys to the keno machines found in a drawer, the suspects allegedly stole $2,000 to $3,000 from 11 machines.

The break-in at Gardner’s took place three days later. Suspects broke into 12 RVs and removed about a dozen flat-screen TVs, three DVD players and stereo equipment. A Gardner’s salesman went looking right away for a truck caught on surveillance video and found it parked on Liberty Street in Kalispell.

Vondrich along with Kevin Everett, 22, and Kyle Egland, 22, both of Kalispell, were charged in the Gardner’s burglary. Vondrich later told a confidential informant that he had robbed Pick’s, and keys to the keno machines were found inside his vehicle.

Vondrich is also charged with selling meth to an undercover agent for $140 on the same day as the Gardner’s RV break-in. The court learned he was also sentenced last year in Oregon to 18 months probation for possession of methamphetamine. Vondrich allegedly returned to Montana without a probation agreement between the two states.

During sentencing, Vondrich told Curtis he has a problem with opiates and amphetamines and was under the influence of drugs when he committed the crimes.

He pleaded guilty to a felony burglary charge for the Pick’s break-in. A felony charge of theft and a misdemeanor charge of trespass to property were dismissed. He also pleaded guilty to a felony burglary charge for the Gardner’s break-in. A felony theft charge was dismissed. And he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of criminal distribution of drugs.