BILLINGS, Mont.—Carbon County Attorney Robert Eddleman has reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors on charges that he distributed cocaine at parties he hosted in Billings and Red Lodge, court records show.
Proposed guilty plea agreements for Eddleman and co-defendant Terri Jabs Kurth of Billings have been filed under seal. No dates have been set for plea changes.
Kurth is the daughter of Jake Jabs, chief executive of the Denver-based American Furniture Warehouse chain. She intends to plead guilty to a count of conspiracy to maintain drug involved premises, according to an offer of proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph E. Thaggard.
The terms of Eddleman’s plea agreement were sealed. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said he could provide no further details.
Eddleman was appointed county attorney in June 2006 and elected to a four-year term later that year. He stepped aside as Carbon County’s top prosecutor in December, after being indicted on four counts including cocaine distribution and maintaining drug-involved premises at his houses in Billings and Red Lodge.
Kurth faced identical charges.
At the time of his arraignment, Eddleman pledged to “vehemently” fight the charges against him.
His attorney, Brian Fay of Bozeman, declined to comment on the plea agreement Thursday. Kurth’s attorney, Robert Kelleher Jr. of Billings, did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment.
Prosecutors say Eddleman and Kurth bought cocaine from a dealer identified as Domingo Baez and hosted parties between Jan. 1, 2004 and Sept. 9, 2008 in which their guests used cocaine.
On Sept. 8, Kurth’s vehicle was pulled over by authorities on suspicion that she had just made a cocaine buy from Baez, according to court documents. Kurth and an unidentified male passenger were searched, along with the vehicle. Two tubes used for snorting cocaine were found, but no cocaine, the court documents state.
The male passenger later told authorities that cocaine had been hidden in the vehicle that day.
“He stated that after they were released by the authorities, he and the defendant (Kurth) went to her home in Billings, where they consumed the cocaine,” Thaggard wrote in the offer of proof.
Carbon County Deputy County Attorney Alex Nixon has been serving as acting county attorney since Eddleman took a leave of absence in December. The Montana Attorney General’s Office has been assisting with cases.
County Commissioner John Prinkki said Nixon will remain in the post until commissioners receive confirmation of Eddleman’s plea deal. Then a replacement for Eddleman could be appointed until another election is held.
“We won’t move forward from where we are now until we know for sure where things lie,” Prinkki said.
