MISSOULA – A 23-year-old man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after prosecutors say he shot a man who was trying to steal cocaine from him in Kalispell.
David Palumbo of Evans, Wash., was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy in Missoula. Palumbo earlier pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug-trafficking.
Prosecutors say Palumbo shot a man who had tried to rob him on Dec. 5, 2009. The victim has undergone more than a dozen operations.
A charge of attempted deliberate homicide filed against Palumbo was dropped after the defense argued evidence was destroyed when the SUV in which the shooting occurred was returned to its owner before the defense could inspect it.
The shooting victim and another man were charged with attempted robbery.