Paul J. Valenzuela, 55, appeared in federal court in Great Falls on Aug. 14 on charges of making threats to a federal agent and illegal possession of firearms.
The court issued a warrant for his arrest on Aug. 10 and law enforcement executed that warrant on Aug. 14, taking Valenzuela into custody.
He made an initial appearance in court on a criminal complaint filed Aug. 10.
If convicted of the most serious crime, Valenzuela faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. He was detained pending further proceedings, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The government alleged that Valenzuela, who has felony convictions, illegally possessed a firearm, and that on Aug. 7, he made threats to an FBI officer in text messages in which he which he refers to having access to firearms and stated, “Shoot at me I shoot back,” according to court documents.
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According to charging documents, an FBI agent in Shelby assigned to the FBI Safe Trails Task Force, which operates within the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, began receiving information about Valenzuela, who was a known violent offender living in Browning.
Local law enforcement sources told the FBI agent that Valenzuela possessed firearms and was involved in trafficking large amounts of methamphetamine on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, according to court documents.
Valenzuela had six felony convictions in Washington between 1986 and 2017 for burglary, theft, attempt to elude, rendering criminal assistance, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm. He had also been arrested on other felony crimes and convicted of misdemeanor assault and domestic violence, according to court documents.
In 2019, the Toole County Sheriff’s Office was told that Valenzuela and his son had posted pictures of themselves holding firearms and making threats to Simms Public School.
The son was suspended for a year and later expelled, according to court documents.
Valenzuela was investigated multiple times since then for possession of weapons and drug trafficking, according to court documents.
In March 2023, Valenzuela was contacted in regard to his 17-year-old son being involved in a fatal shooting that month that was being investigated by the Great Falls Police Department.
Valenzuela told investigators that he didn’t know where his son obtained the gun used in the shooting, according to court documents.
No formal charges has been filed in that case, according to the charging documents.
In August, FBI agents were investigating allegations that Valenzuela had assaulted his son-in-law with a baseball bat in April.
Valenzuela sent text messages to the investigating agent saying “shoot at me I shoot back,” according to the criminal complaint.
On Aug. 8, a Great Falls Police detective told the FBI agents that Valenzuela’s son had gotten into a gang related altercation in March during which is brandished a pistol. Another male pulled out a knife and confronted Valenzuela’s son, who allegedly shot and killed the male with the knife, according to charging documents.
The son was interviewed and released to Valenzuela, according to court documents.
Valenzuela’s son wasn’t charged in that incident since there is evidence supporting self defense, the Cascade County Attorney’s Office told The Electric.
GFPD also informed the FBI that in May, Valenzuela’s son was hanging out with friends in Chowen Springs Park when two of his friends got into an altercation and stabbed someone to death, according to court documents.
The son witnessed the murder and fled the scene, but was later taken into custody and interviewed, according to court documents.
Valenzuela was present during the interview and later brought clothes for his son in a backpack, according to charging documents. During the process, GFPD detectives found live 9mm cartridges in the backpack, according to court documents.
According to GFPD, Bing Ahenakew, 20, and Charlotte Andrade, 18, were charged with felony accountability to deliberate homicide in that incident.
Valenzuela’s son wasn’t charged in that incident since he was present but not directly involved, according to the county attorney’s office.
The court appointed a public defender to Valenzuela’s case.
“A criminal complaint is only an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon is prosecuting the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
