LOGAN — A former Logan City Police officer has accepted a plea deal, after being arrested in a domestic violence case more than two years ago.
According to court records, Michael Ryan Montoya, 34, appeared March 10 in Logan’s 1st District Court. He pleaded “no contest” to aggravated assault, a second-degree felony; stalking, a third-degree felony; and three counts of sexual battery, a class A misdemeanor.
The plea meant Montoya conceded the alleged crimes occurred without admitting guilt or offering a defense. It is still viewed as a guilty plea in court.
According to prosecutors, the victim reported multiple instances of domestic violence involving Montoya on July 18, 2022. During one incident two months earlier, the victim said, she and Montoya were arguing in their Wellsville home when he “plowed (her) over using his chest and bodyweight to hit her,” Cache County Sheriff’s deputies reported. The woman said she fell backward and hit her head on the wall.
The victim reported Montoya later discouraged her from seeking medical care for a head injury and bruising, noting that if she told doctors she was knocked down during an argument they’d have to report it to law enforcement.
According to Logan City Police Chief Jeff Simmons, Montoya had been with the police department for several years but was placed on unpaid leave immediately after being arrested in August 2022. He submitted a letter of resignation a month later, and has had no association with the department since.
Montoya is currently out of jail on bail. He is scheduled to be sentenced April 21, and could face more than 15 years in prison.