Holton man sentenced on federal firearms charges
Wanda English Burnett - Editor

Larry Alan Chezem, 54, of Holton, was sentenced after he was found guilty of conspiracy to possess illegal firearms.

According to information from US District Attorney for the District of Montana William W. Mercer, Chezem was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment, three years supervised released, and will pay $100.00 in a special assessment fine.

The sentencing took place in Missoula, Montana on September 30, before Chief U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy. Chezem was found guilty by a jury on June 8. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kris McLean prosecuted the case.

A year before the trial by jury, which had several continuances, FBI agents converged on Chezem's home at 167 South Marion Street in Holton, looking for illegal weapons.

According to Ripley Publishing Co. files, police dug up a portion of Chezem's yard on June 12, 2004, acting on information that a number of illegal firearms weapons could possibly be buried there. A particular weapon was named - a FN-FAL type firearm (machine gun). No weapons were found at the Holton residence.

However, there were weapons found by FBI agents on Crane Mountain in Montana, after Chezem implicated himself in a recorded conversation with officials. Information from the Department of Justice notes, "On or about May 21, 2003, in a consensually recorded conversation, Chezem implicated himself in concealing and burying weapons on Crane Mountain when the weapons concealed and buried by Chezem and two co-defendants were recovered by the FBI."

More information noted that Chezem admitted he was a member of the group "Project 7" and had participated in a number of survival trainings that included training with firearms.

Project 7 is known as a group of people whose purpose "was to arm and prepare itself for a call to arms in defense of personal safety and personal property, as well as to defend the State of Montana and the United States against attacks from foreign nations in the event the United States armed forces were defeated. The group also prepared for catastrophes such as a natural disaster of the economic collapse of the United States, which could overwhelm state and local authorities, at which time the group would respond to public needs."

Chezem will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court since there is no parole in the federal system. He does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for good behavior which would not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Chezem told local residents that he had run for Sheriff in Montana and local authorities "had it in" for him.