Allen Drane, Jr. has resigned as Powder River County Sheriff effective September 30th, 2002, with the county commissioners set to appoint Devin Boman as sheriff, effective at 12:01 AM on October 1st.

Drane, who served as sheriff since 2015, plans to begin work with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department in the near future; he also told us his wife Melani has taken a position as a Middle School Special Education Teacher in Sidney, MT.

Devin Boman will take over the position after winning the primary election over Drane in June. Boman will be the only name on the ballot for sheriff this November, with no independents filing for the position, nor write-in candidates.

We spoke with the county commissioners about the appointment, where they commented that after speaking with MACO (the Montana Association of Counties, which handles a large portion of the county’s legal and policy questions), the decision to move forward with Boman as the next sheriff. Boman will be appointed as sheriff from October 1st through the end of 2022. The winner of the November general election will then determine the Powder River County Sheriff going forward.

We spoke with Drane, who commented “I tried to serve the people of Powder River County to the best of my abilities, and there are folks here I will miss. I will certainly miss my staff.”

Currently Powder River County has three deputies, two of which have yet to attend the Montana Law Enforcement Academy, and the third deputy has around three years of LEO experience. The sheriff will handle coroner duties; Deputy Ayche Draine is also trained as a coroner.

Boman, who will begin his civilian law enforcement career on October 1st, tells us he will work to schedule his class date at the academy at the earliest opportunity, but he also does not want to be gone while the deputies are at the academy (Deputy Stuchlik begins the academy in December).

Boman noted that the academy has made it possible to handle around ¾ of the academic classes through distance learning, so he will look to complete those classes and minimize his time away from his duties. The academy is 12 weeks in duration, and classes run four times per year.

Soon to be Sheriff Boman commented: “I would like to recognize and appreciate my predecessor, Sheriff Drane. He has dutifully served Powder River County with diligent, steadfast resolve. We owe him our gratitude and thanks for the tireless work he has performed over his tenure as our sheriff. I hope and pray for the best in his future endeavors. I’ve got big shoes to fill.

I look forward to serving this community to the best of my abilities. I am excited and motivated to work with this group of professionals. I know we will have a smooth transition.”