HELENA — One man has been charged after a high-speed chase through Helena that police say began with armed robberies and a stolen vehicle in the Bozeman area.
Brandon Lee Verge is charged with fleeing or eluding a peace officer and two charges of criminal endangerment, all felonies.
On Tuesday, a Montana Highway Patrol trooper spotted a silver Mercedes-Benz SUV with Gallatin County plates.
The trooper was assisting Butte police in identifying a vehicle that had been reported to them as suspicious or as being involved in a crime. Around 11:30 a.m., police located the vehicle and attempted to stop it.
According to court documents, Verge was driving the vehicle with two other passengers. When police tried to stop the vehicle, the driver fled.
The trooper reportedly responded to I-15 and attempted to catch up with Verge. One of the passengers had a GPS monitor bracelet issued by probation and parole, and the trooper was receiving updates on the trio's location.
As the chase passed Boulder, troopers from Helena set up to intercept the vehicle. Troopers saw the suspect vehicle near Helena a short time later and initiated a chase on I-15 northbound, with speeds of up to 120 miles per hour.
The suspect vehicle got off at the Cedar Street exit, and the chase continued to the intersection of Masonic Home Road and Glass Drive, where an MHP trooper performed a pit maneuver, resulting in a rollover crash.
Investigators say Verge confessed to driving the stolen SUV and to committing the two-armed robberies in both Bozeman and Belgrade.
According to Belgrade police, on May 12 at approximately 3:08 a.m., Belgrade police officers responded to a reported robbery at the town pump located at 206 W. Jefferson in Belgrade.
The suspect fled the scene before the officers’ arrival. Belgrade police detectives assumed the investigation.
Documents also state that Manhattan police will charge for the stolen vehicle; Bozeman police will charge for the armed robberies.
Verge has two separate bonds placed on him, a $250,000 bond for the new charges and a $25,000 bond for a probation violation. Verge is scheduled for arraignment in state district court on June 2.
