UPDATE: 07-07-2026, 2:30 p.m. — A former Powell County Sheriff's officer is scheduled to make his initial appearance on a sexual assault charge on Aug. 4th, in Powell County District Court.
John Austin Micu, 42, faces a felony charge of sexual intercourse without consent. He's accused of having sex with a student while working as captain with the sheriff's office and head wrestling coach for Powell High School sometime between April 1, 2024, and April 15, 2025, according to a press release from the Montana Department of Justice.
The Department of Justice alleges Micu acknowledged the student would stay overnight in his basement when she was fighting with her mother. He allegedly admitted he would stay in the basement with her because he was having "marital issues."
A message was left Tuesday seeking comment about these allegations with Micu's attorney Jill Gannon-Nagle but was not returned.
Micu has been summoned to appear in court and is not in custody.
Previous reporting:
DEER LODGE - A former Powell County sheriff's captain is charged in connection with having sex with a high school student.
John Austin Micu was charged Wednesday with felony sexual intercourse without consent in Powell County District Court. Charging documents allege he had sex with a high school student sometime between April 1st, 2024, and April 15, 2025. At the time, Micu was an employee or contracted to work for the school district, and the student was unable to consent, court documents allege.
Micu had been under investigation by the state for the past year after these allegations surfaced, while he was working as an assistant wrestling coach with the school.
Micu, a nine-year veteran of the department, resigned on June 21st just before the Attorney General’s Office took over the prosecution of this case. Micu has been summoned to appear in Powell County District Court for an initial appearance on Tuesday. That court date may change, according to a court official.
