WALSH COUNTY (trfnews.i234.me) – A Minnesota man was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison Thursday afternoon, May 23, for causing a fatal 2023 rollover crash in Walsh County.
“There are multiple things I could’ve done to change that day,” Dominic Michael Billmeier, 25, said during the hearing. “I am sorry.”
On March 2, 2023, Billmeier was “screwing around and showing off,” his vehicle passenger told law enforcement, according to a complaint filed in the case. Witnesses reported observing him doing burnouts and donuts in Warsaw, North Dakota, before the crash.
Driving recklessly and at a high rate of speed east of Warsaw on County Road 15, Billmeier lost control of his vehicle. It entered the ditch and rolled over, ejecting both passengers — Billmeier’s girlfriend and her friend, Mackenzie Joy Kramchuck, according to court statements.
Kramchuck died from her injuries. According to court statements, she was visiting the area for her mother’s birthday. When Linsey Boulduc awoke that night to find her daughter’s bed empty, she knew something was wrong. Her firstborn, at 23, was responsible, mature, and reliable, she said in her victim impact statement.
“I knew for a fact she didn’t do anything wrong,” Boulduc said.
Kramchuck began working hard at a young age and wanted to dedicate her life to helping others. At the time of her death, she was in nursing school and working as a traveling certified nursing assistant.
“She always put her heart into everything,” Boulduc said.
Sentencing took place at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, at the Walsh County Courthouse in Grafton. In January, Billmeier pleaded guilty to Class C felony reckless endangerment-extreme indifference. His Class C felony negligent homicide charge was dismissed pursuant to a plea agreement.
As a Class C felony, the crime falls under North Dakota’s expectations of presumptive probation. Unless there are aggravating factors involved, defendants charged with Class C felonies or Class A misdemeanors are expected to be sentenced to probation with no term of incarceration.
Kelley Marie Riley Cole, representing the state, said she believes there are aggravating factors present in this case, including Billmeier’s responsibility as the driver of the vehicle and Kramchuck’s lack of control over how the vehicle was operated. Cole also mentioned Kramchuck’s age, saying, “she had her whole life ahead of her.”
Cole asked that Billmeier be sentenced to five years but serve only one at the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Kramchuck’s loved ones who spoke during the hearing asked for the maximum five-year sentence.
After hearing from family members, the state, the defense, and Billmeier himself, Judge Barbara Whelan sentenced him to five years, with the first two-and-a-half years in prison. Following the release, Billmeier will be on supervised probation for three years. If he violates probation, he may be required to serve the remainder of his five-year sentence in custody. He must pay $20,240 in restitution. He has credit for 15 days served in custody.