Third of four casino bandits sentenced
Three of the four people charged with robbing a casino on U.S. 2 south of Columbia Falls have been sentenced. The fourth was handled in juvenile court.
According to court records, county dispatchers were alerted to a robbery at the Glacier Gold Casino on Nov. 20, 2010, when a panic alarm was sounded. Casino employee Darah Hughes initially told deputies the robber had an object in her sweatshirt pocket that resembled a pistol and forced her to a back room where about $4,800 was taken.
A subsequent interview with Hughes revealed some discrepancies. Two customers said they saw a woman come into the casino and speak with Hughes prior to the robbery. Later, casino owner Greg Bauska told deputies he had been tipped off that Dustin Payne and Katelynne Hayes were involved.
Video from a surveillance camera showed a white four-door Chevrolet pickup in the parking lot at the time of the robbery with a vanity license plate that read “DPAYNE.” The pickup was located, and Payne, 17 at the time, who lived with his grandmother in Kalispell, was interviewed.
Payne allegedly admitted being at the casino at the time of the robbery and splitting $4,826 between himself, Hughes, 23, of Kalispell, Hayes, 21, of Bigfork, and Hayes’ brother Darren Hayes, 21, also of Bigfork.
In an interview with a sheriff’s detective, Katelynn Hayes allegedly admitted planning the robbery with her brother and carrying a BB gun into the casino to stage the robbery. Hughes was Darren Hayes’ boyfriend at the time.
On Sept. 8, 2011, Hughes was given a three-year deferred sentence by District Court Judge Ted Lympus for her role in the casino robbery. Lympus revoked the sentence on March 22 after probation officers reported violations. Hughes was given a three-year sentence with the Montana Department of Corrections, with recommendation for placement in the Passages program.
Katelynne Hayes was sentenced by Judge David Ortley on Sept. 15, 2011, to a six-year deferred sentence for her role in the casino robbery and ordered to pay $4,800 in restitution. She also received a concurrent six-year deferred sentence for her role in stealing nine wheels and tires off vehicles at Eisinger Motors, in Kalispell, shortly before the casino robbery.
Darren Hayes was sentenced by Judge Stewart Stadler on May 15 to three years with the Department of Corrections for his role in the casino robbery, with recommendation for placement with the Connection Corrections program. He also was given a consecutive three-year sentence with the Department of Corrections for his role in cashing $3,850 in forged checks at Glacier Bank in April 2010.