Santana Cruz Ledeau, 27, was sentenced in federal court to 11 years and two months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release for a 2022 crime spree that included carjackings.

Ledeau pleaded guilty in May 2023 to attempted carjacking and to using, carrying and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

He was sentenced Nov. 1.

Ledeau admits carjackings, brandishing firearms in October 2022 chase

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided in Great Falls federal court. The court also ordered $500 restitution.

There is no parole in the federal system, however a defendant may be eligible for a reduced sentence not exceeding 15 percent of the overall sentence by earning credit for good behavior, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“Ledeau terrorized two communities during his armed carjacking rampage, causing schools and residents to shelter-in-place and putting people in fear of having their vehicles stolen at gunpoint. It is a miracle no one was killed or seriously injured. But Ledeau still inflicted severe trauma on the victims he randomly attacked, and he nearly ran over two deputies with the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office as they were attempting to stop him,” U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said in a release. “Ending Ledeau’s crime spree and holding him accountable would not have happened without the extraordinary dedication to public safety by local, state, and federal law enforcement, many of whom jeopardized their own lives to bring Ledeau to justice.”

Ledeau charged in federal court in connection with October carjackings, pursuit

On Sept. 30, 2022, Ledeau accosted a woman in Billings as she tried to get out of her car in a hospital parking lot. Ledeau demanded her keys while pointing a gun at her and pepper sprayed her in the face, according to court documents. He took the woman’s vehicle and fled. Her car was found a few days later in Musselshell County.

On Oct. 17, 2022, Ledeau and a female companion were driving around Great Falls in a white truck that was later discovered to be stolen from North Dakota, according to court documents.

Ledeau got into a fight outside a motel and fired a pistol into the air. He fled the scene and was involved in a hit-and-run crash, according to court documents.

Great Falls police were unable to stop Ledeau, who drove south on Interstate 15 toward Ulm. When he neared Ulm, Ledeau exited the interstate, drove up behind a Buick sedan, got out of the truck and demanded the Buick from the man driving it. The driver refused to give up his car and Ledeau then pointed a pistol at the car, shooting through the rear driver’s side window, according to court documents.  The window shattered, and the bullet traveled into the trunk, where it was recovered. The driver sped away, and Ledeau took off down Interstate 15 in the stolen truck, according to court documents.

Ledeau made it to Cascade where he ran out of gas.

Suspect in custody after vehicle pursuit

There, a man offered to take Ledeau to get gas, and Ledeau and his companion got into the man’s car. But once in the car, Ledeau threatened the driver with a knife and demanded the vehicle. The driver jumped out of the car and noticed law enforcement beginning to arrive. Deputies attempted to stop Ledeau, but he drove the stolen car at the officers, who had to flee out of his path, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

As deputies continued trying to stop him, Ledeau drove back onto Interstate 15 at a high rate of speed, traveling the wrong way on the interstate. Ledeau eventually exited the interstate and crashed near Simms, according to court documents.

At the crash scene, officers found Ledeau in possession of a pistol that appeared to be the same gun he used in the Billings carjacking and a bottle of Southern Comfort whiskey. Ledeau was intoxicated and belligerent, and agents recovered numerous cartridges, ammunition and empty ammunition boxes from the truck. The gun had a red stock and dark colored slide and was determined to be a 9mm pistol, according to court documents.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica A. Betley and Jeffrey K. Starnes prosecuted the case. The Great Falls Police Department, Cascade County Attorney’s Office, Cascade County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Highway Patrol, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Musselshell County Sheriff’s Office, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, Yellowstone County Attorney’s Office, Billings Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities; supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place; setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities; and measuring the results.

Photo courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office