HELENA — Samuel James Collins of East Helena, who fired a gun during an October 2023 robbery at the Townsend Town Pump was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Collins, 34 years old, pleaded guilty in July to possessing and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to court documents, Collins entered the gas station on October 16, 2023, without pants or shoes and wearing a hooded coat. He then fired a round from a pistol and demanded money from the staff, taking around $330 in cash.
Around 20 minutes later, Meagher County Sheriff’s Office deputies stopped a truck matching the description of the robbery suspect’s vehicle. The driver was identified as Collins.
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Law enforcement found a pistol matching the description and caliber of the gun fired in the Town Pump, $329 in cash, and clothing matching the robbery suspect.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Broadwater County Sheriff’s Office, Meagher County Sheriff’s Office, Lewis & Clark County Sheriff’s Office, FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.
Collins' 10-year sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
