Sackett enters not guilty plea

SANDPOINT — A Priest Lake landowner accused of attempted sex trafficking of a child in North Dakota is pleading not guilty, U.S. District Court records show.

Counsel for Michael Thomas Sackett entered the plea on his client’s behalf on Friday, setting the stage for a two-day jury trial in Bismarck, N.D. in January 2014.

Sackett, 47, waived his right to appear during his arraignment and allowed his attorney, Jacob Rodenbiker, to enter the plea, court records indicate.

Sackett is free on his own recognizance while the case is pending.

He is required to remain at a residence he keeps in Williston, N.D., although his is allowed limited in-state travel with electronic monitoring, federal court documents state.

Sackett attempted to lure a 12-year-old girl into committing a commercial sex act in October in Williams County, an indictment alleges. Federal prosecutors have filed probable cause affidavits under seal to keep from jeopardizing an ongoing criminal investigation or putting undercover Homeland Security agents in danger.

Rodenbiker has declined to comment on the case, as has U.S. Attorney Timothy Purdon.

Sackett’s arrest coincided with the unveiling of Operation Safe Bakken, an effort by authorities in North Dakota and Montana to curb crime in the booming oil patch country of the Northern Plains, according to The Billings Gazette.

Sackett gained national attention for challenging a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wetlands determination on property he owns at Priest Lake. The case is still pending.