Laurel man pleads guilty to gun charges after shooting himself in the leg

BILLINGS - A Laurel man who was found with an illicit firearm while under felony indictment admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.

Joel Antonio Crusselle II, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of having a firearm while under indictment. Crusselle faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen S. Lane presided and will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Dec. 9, 2026. Crusselle remained in custody pending further proceedings.

The government alleged in court documents that Crusselle accidently shot himself in the leg while under felony indictment for assault with a weapon and strangulation with Yellowstone County District Court. At Crusselle's court appearance on Aug. 5, 2025, he was released on conditions that prohibited him from possessing a firearm.

Despite the prohibition, on Feb. 16, 2026, Crusselle was target shooting with a .22 caliber revolver in Laurel. Law enforcement received a report of a person being shot; Crusselle, in trying to place the revolver back into its holster, shot himself in the calf.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus is prosecuting the case. The ATF and Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office conducted the investigation.