BILLINGS — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)), published as received.

BILLINGS — A felon who escaped from a pre-release center, committed a drive by shooting at a house in Billings and then led law enforcement on a chase in a stolen vehicle before crashing was sentenced yesterday to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conviction of a firearms crime, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.

The defendant, Azuriah Austin Stallcup, 20, of Billings, pleaded guilty in February to prohibited person in possession of firearm and ammunition.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

In court documents, the government alleged that on July 6, 2023, Stallcup was a wanted escapee from a Butte pre-release center when he travelled to Billings, obtained a stolen .40-caliber firearm and repeatedly fired it from his stolen vehicle into a house. Residential surveillance cameras identified the vehicle and Stallcup. Billings Police Department officers tracked Stallcup the next day to a house. When officers attempted to arrest Stallcup as he was leaving in the stolen vehicle, Stallcup rammed one of the police cars, plowed into a nearby civilian vehicle and fled on foot. Officers chased Stallcup and saw him throw a pistol over a fence. Police officers, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, arrested Stallcup after being tackled by the owner of the car he had just hit. Officers recovered a .40-caliber pistol. Stallcup had been convicted of assault with a weapon, a felony, in Montana District Court and was prohibited from possessing firearms.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin M. Rubich prosecuted the case. The Billings Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Marshals Service, conducted the investigation.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

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