A Columbia Falls resident, Zachary Matthew Gargasz, 38, has been sentenced to 51 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing a firearm. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme and took place before U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy.
Gargasz pleaded guilty in March 2025 to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, Gargasz was previously convicted on October 6, 2017, in Flathead County District Court for operating a clandestine drug laboratory and received a suspended 10-year sentence with the Montana Department of Corrections. On November 9, 2018, he signed a Firearms Regulation Form acknowledging that he was not allowed to possess firearms due to his felony conviction.
On December 1, 2023, during a scheduled visit with probation officers, authorities searched Gargasz’s vehicle and found ammunition and loaded AR magazines. A subsequent search of his home led to the discovery of a loaded .45 caliber handgun under his mattress. Gargasz later admitted to possessing the firearm at an April 11, 2024 revocation hearing.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) along with State of Montana Probation and Parole.
"This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN."
