HUNGRY HORSE — The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and the Northwest Regional SWAT Team carried out a high-risk search warrant in Hungry Horse on Tuesday night.
That warrant led to the arrest of Michael Downing, the suspected leader of an organized burglary ring targeting homes in the Flathead for months.
“We started noticing significant amounts of thefts, often with vacation homes and places that often didn’t have residence at the time, they would often times go in for an initial theft and then go back again,” said Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino.
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Sheriff Heino said law enforcement received a report Tuesday afternoon of someone hooking a chain around a safe in a vacant home and pulling it out with a side-by-side vehicle in a neighborhood near Whitefish.
“We initiated respone with basically all of our resources along with Whitefish Police Department, Columbia Falls Police Department, Montana Highway Patrol to basically surround that area," Sheriff Heino said.
Sheriff Heino said two suspects were arrested, Downing and Timothy McClain.
He said more than 15 burglary cases across Flathead County have been linked to Downing and his crew.
“And then we have multiple other areas that we have ascertained information that there possibly could be additional stolen goods,” said Heino.
Sheriff Heino said stolen items range anywhere from vehicles, construction tools to equipment trailers with total losses and damages approaching $1 million.
“We’ve already recovered some of those items. Sometimes, the individuals would abandon items on national forest property. We have worked with U.S. Forest Service, but again, we are recovering as many items as we possibly can, and hopefully, this will provide additional items to be returned.”
Michael Downing is facing two pending felony charges for Burglary and Tampering with Witness or Informant. His arraignment is set for May 29 in Flathead County District Court.
