Plains man sentenced to five years in prison for gun charge

A Plains man who admitted to a firearms crime after trying to sell a gun with an obliterated serial number was sentenced Dec. 12 to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

The defendant, Zen York Lowther, 36, pleaded guilty in August to possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.

The government alleged in court documents that law enforcement learned Lowther was in possession of firearms and controlled substances and was on state parole for felony burglary and theft. Law enforcement also received information that Lowther was engaged in the sale of firearms. 

Agents arranged for a confidential source to meet with Lowther to purchase firearms. Lowther agreed to sell two pistols and a shotgun on Aug. 2, 2023 in St. Regis. When Lowther arrived, he was taken into custody. 

In a search of his vehicle, law enforcement located a 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number in a bag along with 9mm ammunition. In addition, there was a 12-gauge shotgun on the center bench seat and $5,257. In a search of Lowther’s residence, agents recovered 19 more firearms and two silencers.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Plains Police Department, Mineral County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Highway Patrol and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 

On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.