Landowner Dennis Thornton was charged with trespassing in Flathead County; a charge later dropped when County investigator determined that Thornton owned property.
(Kalispell, MT)-Embattled landowner Dennis Thornton scored a decisive victory in his ongoing effort to reclaim his stolen property—a saga extensively covered by this news outlet at creditunioncrimes.com. Late last month, a federal judge denied, for the second time, Flathead County’s motion to dismiss Thornton’s $50 million lawsuit against them, as only the most explosive allegation survived.
The suit targets County Prosecutor Travis Ahner, who is being sued both professionally and personally, and other county agents, alleging they “knowingly submitted and relied on false certifications and legal claims” regarding property ownership, in violation of federal law (18 U.S.C. § 1018); then attempted to imprison Thornton on trespassing charges.
This means the judge found enough factual basis to allow the case to proceed on the allegation that county officials may have intentionally misrepresented ownership records in legal filings.
You can review the motion filed by Thornton by clicking the image below
In summary, Thornton sued because Flathead County officials pressed criminal charges for trespassing even though the sheriff advised against it and official records proved Thornton owned the property. The lawsuit alleges that county officials knowingly relied on false information to support the prosecution.
As expected, after the judge denied Flathead County’s motion to dismiss for a second time, a trial date was set for June 15, 2026. You can review the scheduling order by clicking the image below.
If, through civil proceedings, it is established that Ahner and other County officials knowingly submitted false information in an attempt to have Thornton jailed, it could expose those officials to federal criminal prosecution under 18 U.S.C. § 1018. The maximum penalty is up to one year in prison and/or a fine.
In summary, if you’re like any normal American, even the suspicion that officials knowingly submitted false information in the Thornton case naturally raises the question: Have Ahner and his associates ever done this to anyone else before?
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