Former Montana Probation Officer Kyle Hinzman Used Confidential Informant in Unauthorized Reverse Sting Operation (Flathead County)

Former longtime Montana Probation and Parole officer Kyle Curtis Hinzman charged in Flathead County District Court with solicitation to commit distribution of dangerous drugs and official misconduct, plus later sexual abuse of children and tampering with a witness or informant. Affidavit states he directed former probationer Jane Doe to supply fentanyl to probationer Michael Odom in a September 2024 reverse sting to entrap him, describing Doe as his confidential informant; state does not typically permit probation officers to use confidential informants. (Flathead Beacon, Jun/Oct 2026)