Randy Pinocci, a member of the Montana Public Service Commission, has been charged with two felony counts of witness tampering in connection with a July incident.

Pinocci was arrested Oct. 13 in Great Falls and booked into the Cascade County Adult Detention Center at 9:20 a.m., according to the jail roster.

His bond was set at $2,500, according to Cascade County Sheriff Jesse Slaughter.

In July, Pinocci was cited for misdemeanor disorderly conduct in an altercation with a tenant at one of his properties.

Pinocci was doing a tenant walkthrough, during which the tenant’s friend, got frustrated that Pinocci was taking advantage of the tenant regarding damages and returning the deposit.

Pinocci and the tenant’s friend got into an altercation that involved yelling and bumping chests, according to court documents.

A neighbor, also a tenant in Pinocci’s properties, witnessed the altercation and provided a statement to deputies.

Pinocci and the tenant’s friend were both cited in the incident with deputies responded.

Cascade County Justice Court set Pinocci’s initial appearance for July 6, for which he was granted a continuance. His second continuance request was denied and Pinocci failed to appear, so the justice of the peace issued an arrest warrant in September, for which he was arrested by deputies.

During the investigation, deputies determined that on July 18, the neighboring tenant who witnessed the altercation asked Pinocci if she should mow the vacant neighboring property while she was mowing her lawn.

She had given Pinocci a 30-day notice shortly after the July 5 altercation that she intended to vacate the rental unit, according to court documents.

Pinocci responded to her via text and said to continue their relationship, “you’re going to have to recant your testimony with the sheriff’s department,” according to court documents.

Pinocci told her that the other person involved in the altercation shoved him and pushed him around.

“I didn’t touch him at all and I called the sheriff because I don’t need to be pushed around. We did not bump chests at all. You get your testimony corrected and will talk about working together in the future. You’re not allowed on my property until that problem is corrected,” Pinocci texted her, according to court documents.

On Aug. 5, the witness did a final walkthrough of the rental unit with Pinocci and he told her he wouldn’t be returning the $5,400 deposit citing damages. In a September phone call, the witness’ roommate offered to let Pinocci keep $1,000 if he’d return the remainder.

Pinocci told them he wouldn’t discuss the deposit until the witness recanted her testimony from the July 5 altercation. During the phone call Pinocci said he wouldn’t “talk to ‘people like them’ until the dispute was straightened out,” according to court documents.