Ray Dolin Guilty: Hitchhiker Admits To Montana Shooting Hoax

[rachel1]

BILLINGS, Mont. -- A hitchhiker from West Virginia pleaded guilty on Monday to criminal charges in Montana for falsely claiming to be the victim of a drive-by shooting, leading to another man being jailed for an offense he did not commit.

Under a plea deal with prosecutors, Ray Dolin of Julian, W.Va., would receive a six-month suspended jail sentence and have to pay more than $2,000 in fines and $5,583 in restitution to the Valley County Sheriff's Office.

Dolin pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence, making a false report and obstructing a peace officer during an appearance before state District Judge John McKeon in Valley County.

Sentencing was set for January 22.

The struggling photographer has admitted to shooting himself in the arm on June 9 while hitchhiking near Glasgow in northeastern Montana. He initially claimed it was a drive-by shooting and stuck with that story even when a Washington state man was arrested and jailed.

...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/30/ray-dolin-guilty_n_2044104.html?utm_hp_ref=crime

What an atrocious and loathsome excuse for a human.

[LiberalLoner]

1. I agree and I hate that he made my home state of Montana look bad!

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. "restitution" for the sheriff's office; what about the guy falsely arrested?

He spent time in jail. He was innocent. There should be money going to him before the police who were doing their job.

[dsc]

3. If I were the guy who went to jail for this I would be outraged at the leniency of this deal

and the fact that the jailed man got no compensation. I hope the judge rejects this deal. He should get the exact same sentence he was willing to see the other guy get.