'Mountain Man' gets 10-year term

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

'Mountain Man' gets 10-year term

The Associated Press

ST. GEORGE, Utah -- For years, he lived a solitary life in the expansive wilderness of Utah as he ransacked cabins and trekked hundreds of miles alone on his snowshoes with a rifle slung over his shoulder.

For the next decade, he'll live behind bars in a federal penitentiary.

Troy James Knapp, known by many as the "Mountain Man," agreed Monday to a package of plea deals on burglary and weapons charges in state and federal courts, closing dozens of criminal cases against him in seven Utah counties.

Knapp, 46, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in St. George to 10 1/2 years in prison on federal weapons charges that stem from him firing shots at agents before he surrendered in April 2013 in the snowy mountains of central Utah.

He also pleaded guilty to 10 felony burglary counts on state charges, with each state conviction drawing a sentence of one to 15 years and a $10,000 fine.

State Judge Eric Ludlow ran all sentences concurrently and waived the fines. Knapp's federal and state defense attorneys said he was indigent.

He will receive credit for the 14 months he has already served in jail.

When he finishes his time in federal prison, state officials will determine whether he should spend any more time behind bars. But prosecutors and Knapp's attorneys, including Deputy Federal Public Defender Kathryn Nester, said the intent was for Knapp to serve his entire sentence in federal prison.

A Section on 06/10/2014