Attorney General’s Office files charges against former Powell County Sheriff’s captain and wresting coach in sex assault case

HELENA – Prosecutors in the Montana Attorney General’s Office charged a Powell County man with one count of sexual intercourse without consent with a high school student, Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced today.

John Austin Micu, 42, was charged Wednesday following an investigation into sexual assault allegations involving a student and member of the Powell County High School wrestling team. At the time of the alleged offense, Micu served as a captain with the Powell County Sheriff’s Office and as the head wrestling coach at Powell County High School.

In March 2025, the Helena Police Department received a report alleging sexual misconduct involving Micu. The report indicated that Micu had communicated with the student through Snapchat. During a conversation with another Powell County officer, Micu denied having a sexual relationship with the student but acknowledged that the student would stay overnight in his basement when the student was fighting with her mother. Micu also stated that he would stay in the basement with her because he was having “marital issues.”

In April 2025, agents with the Montana Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation interviewed Micu, and he admitted to engaging in sexual intercourse with the student.

Micu resigned from his position with Deer Lodge School District on March 7, 2025. He also resigned from the Powell County Sheriff’s Office last month.

Assistant Attorney General Meghann Paddock is prosecuting the case. The investigation was completed by the Montana Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation, after initial investigative work by the Deer Lodge Police Department.