BILLINGS — A man who went on a homicidal crime spree in Billings has been sentenced to 140 years at Montana State Prison.
Thomas John Slevira Jr., 34, appeared Friday in Yellowstone County District Court after previously entering a no-contest plea to deliberate homicide and pleading guilty to other felony charges in a plea agreement.
Slevira was arrested on Jan. 8, 2023, following a standoff with police at the end of a crime spree that began when Carlos Delao, 45, was shot and killed while sitting in his vehicle at 1205 Ave. F. Slevira shot Delao in the head and then pulled the man's body out of the vehicle and drove off.
A short distance away the stolen vehicle slammed into a power pole and several other vehicles outside Big B Bingo on 12th Street West. Slevirar fled the crash scene and ran to the back door of a residence at 1207 Burlington Ave., according to court records.
About 25 people were inside the home celebrating a child's birthday when Slevira broke in and shot one man in the chest before fleeing to the basement.
Slevira fired multiple gunshots out of the house as the occupants fled. He eventually came out of the house to end a seven-hour standoff with police.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Donald Harris ordered Slevira to serve 80 years in prison for the murder and an additional 10 years for using a firearm to commit the crime. The judge ordered Slevira to serve 45 years before he is eligible for parole.
Slevira was ordered to serve an additional prison term of 30 years after admitting to a charge of aggravated assault with a weapons enhancement. Slevira was initially charged with attempted deliberate homicide for shooting the second man, but the charge was reduced through the plea agreement.
Slevira received concurrent sentences of 20 years for each of three charges of assault with a weapon. On the final charge of criminal endangerment with a weapons enhancement, Slevira received an additional prison term of 20 years.
