GREAT FALLS — Susan Kaytlin Scott of Shelby was convicted in federal court in Great Falls on Tuesday of firearms crimes for lying while buying a handgun and then giving it to a juvenile, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said in a news release.
The jury found Scott, 52 years old, guilty of false statement during a firearms transaction and of transfer of a handgun to a juvenile.
Prosecutors said Scott bought a Taurus 9mm handgun for a 17-year-old boy on November 21, 2018, at Scheels in Great Falls. In required background paperwork, Scott answered that she was the actual transferee/buyer of the firearm. However, Scott bought the handgun for the boy as an early birthday present. The boy and his friend were present during the purchase, and Scott used the boy’s debit card for the purchase. Following the sale, the boy kept the handgun, and ammunition, at another residence.
A juvenile witness told investigators that the boy kept the handgun in a holster in his bedroom and had a magazine loaded in the pistol but not a round in the chamber. The boy and three friends would take out the handgun, point it at things in the room or at each other. The witness also reported that the boy pointed the handgun at Scott during an argument. The juvenile also reported that the teen pointed the handgun at Scott during an argument in November 2018
“Federal firearms laws are in place to protect us from dangerous use. Lying to buy a handgun and then giving it unsupervised to a youth who points the loaded firearm at people is a serious offense. I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette Stewart, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Great Falls Police Department and the Toole County Sheriff’s Office for investigating and prosecuting the case.” Alme said.
U.S. District Judge Brian Morris scheduled sentencing for June 4 and continued Scott’s release.
Scott faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the false statement count, and a maximum one year in prison, a $100,000 fine, and one year of supervised release on the transfer to a juvenile count.
