C. Falls man pleads not guilty to bail jumping

A Columbia Falls man on Thursday pleaded not guilty to felony bail jumping.

According to Flathead District Court documents, Christen Stordalen, 32, failed to appear at a pre-trial conference on July 20 on two felony charges — operation of an unlawful clandestine laboratory and criminal possession with intent to distribute — to which, Stordalen had pleaded not guilty on March 10, 2016.

On the charges of felony operation of an unlawful clandestine laboratory and felony criminal possession with intent to distribute, court documents state that the Northwest Drug Task Force had investigated tips about Stordalen’s involvement in a methamphetamine manufacturing operation in May 2013.The information provided alleged that Stordalen was manufacturing meth using a “one-pot, shake and bake” method and then disposing of the chemicals and packaging by burning them.

A search warrant was obtained for Stordalen’s Columbia Falls residence, where he lived with his girlfriend and her 11- and 15-year-old children. During the search, Stordalen was reportedly caught leaving a bathroom where he allegedly tried to flush two bags of meth down the toilet. The search also reportedly turned up numerous items used to manufacture meth such as a digital scale, lithium, various packaging, a gas generator, tubing, pellets believed to be fertilizer, and glass vials, in addition to several bags of meth.

Stordalen was one of several Columbia Falls area residents charged in 2013 in connection with two clandestine meth labs according to previous articles in the Daily Inter Lake and the Hungry Horse News.

Following Stordalen’s failure to appear at the pre-trial conference, a bench warrant was issued for his arrest, with bail set at $50,000.

Stordalen is currently held at Flathead County Detention Center.

A trial is set for Nov. 27.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.