Missoula Robbery Suspects Charged

The case against Thomas Dempsey and Nick West, the two men accused of robbing a Missoula casino on Friday, will be handled by federal prosecutors.  Dempsey and West made their initial appearances in U.S. District Court on Tuesday.

Both men are charged with five federal offenses including robbery, carjacking, possession of and discharging a firearm during a violent crime, and possession of a firearm as a felon.  West’s girlfriend Carissa Kopp, who drove the men, also appeared in court Tuesday.  Kopp faces the same charges, apart from the firearm count.   Judge Jeremiah Lynch ordered them to remain in custody pending further court hearings.
Dempsey and West reportedly entered Deano’s on West Harrier Street shortly after 3 a.m. Friday, each brandishing handguns.  Dempsey allegedly ordered an employee to give him the money out of the register and safe.  The men were given about $3,200.  Bystanders who walked in on the robbery were unharmed