Montana Casino Robberies Lead to Another Arrest in Billings

Posted on: May 19, 2022, 01:13h. 

Last updated on: May 19, 2022, 11:01h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

Police have arrested a second suspect in recent armed robberies of small gaming venues in Billings, Mont. The second suspect was identified as Falken Brown, 24.

Fire and Ice Casino in Billings, Mont.
Fire and Ice Casino in Billings, Mont., pictured above in 2021 photo. The casino has since opened and was robbed earlier this month. Two suspects were apprehended. (Image: KCTR)

Brown, a Montana man, was charged with two counts of robbery in connection with the Maverick Casino holdup and another theft, Billings Police Lt. Matt Lennick told KTVQ, a local TV station.

On Tuesday, Mason Prudhomme, 31, was also arrested for the May 8 Maverick Casino heist.

It was alleged a man went into the Maverick venue and handed a note to an employee. It said he was armed and wanted money.

The worker turned over an unidentified amount of cash to the robber. The robber then fled. The bandit was wearing a mask and black hoodie. No one was injured and no weapon was seen by the employee.

The pair was also allegedly involved in the robbery of the Fire and Ice Casino in Billings on May 11. The duo faces trial in local court.

In a clarification, KTVQ reported Billings police continue to seek to identify a suspect or suspects in the May 11 robbery of the Holiday convenience store.

Prior Arrest

In an unrelated incident, two Montana women were arrested for an armed robbery on March 20 at Magic Diamond Casino in Billings. One fired a gun into the air, and they led cops on a high-speed chase on the streets of Billings, authorities said.

The women stole several bottles of whiskey from the small gaming venue and adjacent liquor store, authorities add. One allegedly pulled out the firearm and pointed it at two casino workers. Police did not say if the pair stole money or the amount, if any.

The duo was later arrested. They were identified as Taliah Jeneane Ramirez, 22, of Billings, and Makyla Shayd Fetter, 27, of Harlem.

The charges include robbery affecting interstate commerce, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm in a school zone, according to the Montana US Attorney’s Office.

Decapitation of Casino Winner

Also, in still another unrelated crime last June, a Montana man who allegedly decapitated a winning casino player in 2017 was sentenced to 65 years in prison for deliberate homicide.

Donald Ray Cherry, 34, was given the prison term for the killing of Myron Wesley Knight.

A second defendant, Jeffery Glen Haverty, 37, was sentenced in 2020 to 50 years in prison for the robbery and killing. The bandits met Knight at Montana’s Lil’s Casino.

The duo later allegedly murdered Knight with a hatchet. They decapitated him while they were at a campsite near the casino, authorities said.