MISSOULA - A Butte man was sentenced to seven years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for brandishing a shotgun while robbing a motel in Butte.
Luther Norman Whaley, 60, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The government alleged in court documents that Whaley brandished a shotgun at the clerk of America’s Best Valley Inn.
The clerk gave him $3,000 in a black duffle bag provided by Whaley.
Whaley fled the scene but was quickly arrested. Law enforcement recovered a shotgun and a black bag filled with cash.
“Yeah, it’s me,” Whaley told law enforcement.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Butte Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott.
