Liberty County Sheriff Nickolas Erickson has been charged with one criminal misdemeanor for allegedly making false statements to other law enforcement in connection with a 2025 assault case.
The sole charge of unsworn falsification to authorities was filed Oct. 14 in Liberty County Justice Court by Assistant Attorney General Jessica Best, who was acting as special deputy Liberty County attorney.
The case dates back to June 2025, when the Liberty County Sheriff's Office began an investigation into allegations of strangulation and assault involving two juvenile suspects and one juvenile victim, according to charging documents.
In October 2025, the father of the victim filed a complaint with the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, the agency with oversight authority over local law enforcement, stating he was worried the sheriff's office wasn't investigating and had turned nothing over for review by prosecutors, according to charging documents.
The father told state investigators he had taken his son in for a forensic examination on his own and reached out to the sheriff in August and September. During his second conversation, Erickson allegedly told him he had reached out to someone with the Montana Attorney General's Office, but that person no longer worked there, according to charging documents.
The father also reached out to the Liberty County Attorney Robert Padmo's office to express his frustrations with the lack of progress. Padmo told him and state investigators that he never received files from Erickson, according to court documents.
A state investigator spoke with Erickson on Oct. 21, 2025, to ask him about the investigation. Erickson allegedly told him he needed to complete reports, and he would present the file to Padmos on Oct. 31, which he did not do, according to charging documents.
The case stalled until February, when it was transferred to DCI Deputy Bureau Chief John Sullivan, who confirmed Padmos had still not received any investigative reports. On Feb. 26, Bureau Chief Derek Malhum made an unannounced stop at the Liberty County Sheriff's Office, where he met with Erickson.
Malhum told Erickson that DCI would not take over the investigation unless requested by Erickson, which the sheriff then did, according to court documents. Erickson said he would personally deliver the file to Malhum the next week, but then missed multiple deadlines, according to charging documents.
On April 7, Erickson brought his files, which were in a single purple folder, to Mahlum in Great Falls. Erickson said he had not obtained a copy of the forensic examination of the victim because he hadn't appreciated how the victim's father had scheduled it without his knowledge, according to court documents.
Prosecutors noted multiple investigative pieces were missing from the file, including police reports, EMS reports, photographs of the defendants and surveillance footage, according to court documents.
MTN News left a message Thursday with the Liberty County Sheriff's Office with a request to speak with Erickson but did not hear back.
