Two 19-Year-Olds Face Life Sentences After Pleading Guilty to Sexual Assault on Fort Peck Reservation

POPLAR — Two 19-year-old men from Poplar face potential life sentences after pleading guilty this week to sexual abuse charges stemming from an assault on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation earlier this year.

Chandler Duran Longtree and Payton Robert Richard Montclair each pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse before Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris. Both defendants were 18 at the time of the January 18, 2025, incident.

Each defendant faces life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and five years to a lifetime of supervised release.

According to court documents, the victim, identified as Jane Doe, was drinking with a group of young people on the evening in question. She eventually separated from her friend and went with Longtree and Montclair to Longtree’s house, where she was sexually assaulted by both men.

The victim reported the assault and underwent an examination by a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE), which revealed evidence consistent with sexual assault, court documents state.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice, highlighting the federal jurisdiction over major crimes committed on Indian reservations.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case. Longtree’s sentencing is scheduled for January 14, 2026, while Montclair’s sentencing is set for January 21, 2026. Both defendants remain detained pending sentencing.

U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme announced the guilty pleas, emphasizing the collaborative effort between federal and tribal law enforcement agencies in investigating crimes on the Fort Peck Reservation.