BILLINGS – Ryan McElmury, charged with 16 felony counts of burglary, armed robbery, vehicle theft, and fleeing from police, pleaded not guilty to those crimes Wednesday in Yellowstone County District Court.
McElmury, 41 years old, appeared via video from the Yellowstone County Detention Center.
Police accuse McElmury of leading officers on a high-speed chase through several parts of Billings on September 24.
The chase lasted 50 minutes, leaving officers to investigate a total of 10 crimes scenes, where five vehicles were stolen, three of them at gunpoint.
Billings Police Chief Rich St. John described the incident as “50 minutes of carnage” that began with an attempted robbery at Performance Auto.
No one was hurt in the chase.
The charges include three counts of felony robbery with a weapons enhancement, three counts of aggravated burglary, one charge of assault with a weapon, two counts of criminal endangerment, and three counts of felony theft.
McElmury made an initial court appearance on September 26. At that time, Judge Jeanne Walker placed bond at $1 million; that bond amount did not change during Wednesday’s court appearance.
- Reported by Andrea Lutz
