Man sentenced to 140 years in prison for Billings murder and violent crime

BILLINGS – A man who committed a murderous crime in Billings has been sentenced to 140 years in Montana State Prison.

Thomas John Slevira Jr., 34, appeared in Yellowstone County District Court on Friday after previously entering a no-contest plea to first-degree murder and pleading guilty to other charges in a plea agreement.

Slevira was arrested on Jan. 8, 2023, after a standoff with police at the end of a crime spree that began when Carlos Delao, 45, was shot and killed while sitting in his vehicle at 1205 Ave. F. Slevira shot Delao in the head, after which he pulled the man’s body out of the car and drove away.

A short distance away, the stolen vehicle crashed into a utility pole and several other vehicles outside Big B Bingo on 12th Street West. Slevirar fled the scene of the accident and ran to the back door of a home on Burlington Ave. 1207, according to court records.

About 25 people were in the house celebrating a child’s birthday when Slevira broke in and shot a man in the chest before fleeing to the basement.

Slevira fired multiple gunshots from inside the house as the residents fled. He eventually emerged from the house to end a seven-hour standoff with police.

During the sentencing hearing, Judge Donald Harris ordered Slevira to serve 80 years in prison for the murder and an additional 10 years for using a firearm to commit the crime. The judge ordered Slevira to serve 45 years before he is eligible for parole.

Slevira was ordered to serve an additional 30 years in prison after admitting to a charge of aggravated assault with a weapon enhancement. Slevira was initially charged with attempted intentional murder for shooting the second man, but the charge was reduced through the plea deal.

Slevira received concurrent sentences of 20 years for each of the three charges of assault with a weapon. On the last charge of endangering criminals through weapon enhancement, Slevira received an additional 20 years in prison.

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