A Polson man, Bryce L. Morrison, who had recently received a suspended sentence on a burglary charge, is facing new accusations of committing a similar crime. Morrison, 26, pleaded not guilty to felony burglary in Polson District Court on April 10. According to court records, on March 24 – just four days after his earlier sentence – the Polson Police responded to a burglary report at Stageline Pizza and Betty’s Diner. Surveillance footage from the two businesses allegedly shows Morrison entering the store without permission and stealing money from the cash register and tip jar, as well as two beers. He was quickly apprehended and admitted to the break-in.
Morrison had been sentenced to five years in the Montana Department of Corrections, with all of the time suspended, on a burglary conviction on March 20. This sentence was part of a plea agreement that also dismissed charges of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, theft, and another burglary charge relating to break-ins at the same location in July and August of 2023. Judge Molly Owen has scheduled a trial for September 16 in this latest burglary case. Morrison is also facing a revocation hearing for violating his probation from the earlier burglary. He is currently being held in the Lake County Jail on a $50,000 bond.