An Anaconda man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm. Keegan Allan Strelnik, aged 42, was convicted as a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and will serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
Strelnik had pleaded guilty in January 2025. The sentencing was conducted by U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen.
Court documents revealed that Strelnik had previously been convicted on September 26, 2019, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in federal court in Montana. This conviction led to a sentence of 41 months imprisonment and four years of supervised release, which barred him from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Despite this prohibition, on November 24, 2023, Strelnik was seen hunting in Granite County, Montana, with a rifle captured on a game camera. He attempted to remove the memory card from the camera. A witness reported that during the hunting trip, Strelnik used the rifle to shoot at an elk.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney and investigated by the ATF along with the U.S. Probation Office and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
This legal action is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration among law enforcement agencies and community groups. The program emphasizes building trust within communities, supporting preventive measures against violence, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and evaluating outcomes.