Belcourt Woman Sentenced for Retaliation Against a Witness
MINOT - United States Attorney Drew H. Wrigley announced
that on October 9, 2007, Cheryl M. Adams , 54, of Belcourt,
North Dakota, was sentenced before United States District Court Chief
Judge Daniel L. Hovland on a charge of retaliation against a witness. Adams pleaded
guilty to the charge on July 23, 2007.
Judge Hovland sentenced Adams to serve one year and
one day in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised
release. Adams was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment
to the Crime Victim's Fund.
The incident occurred in Belcourt on January 8, 2007, when Adams physically
assaulted another woman. The assault was in retaliation for the other
woman having provided information to law enforcement which resulted in
charges against Adams’ brother in Federal court.
In October 2006, Adams’ brother was tried in
Federal court and convicted of the offense of aggravated sexual abuse
of a child, which resulted in a sentence of 235 months of incarceration
in federal prison. On January 8, 2007, Adams encountered
the woman in
a public place in Belcourt. Adams struck
the woman in the face, hit her several times with a closed fist and pulled
her hair. The woman suffered physical injury, specifically, a lump on
her head and bruises on her chest, arms and legs.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and
Bureau of Indian Affairs - Turtle Mountain Agency. Assistant United States
Attorney David Hagler prosecuted the case.