FORT HALL MAN SENTENCED FOR RAPE AND ASSAULT

Alfred Wahtomy, 47, of Fort Hall, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday to 172 months in federal prison for rape and assault, U.S. Attorney Tom Moss announced.

Testimony during the trial in November 2008 showed that Wahtomy choked and slapped the 37-year-old victim in the home that they shared on the Fort Hall Shoshone Bannock Indian Reservation. Wahtomy then dragged the woman by her hair and beat and raped her with a large wooden dowel. The victim sustained serious injuries including extensive bruising on all parts of her body, cuts and abrasions in her mouth and on her face, and bleeding from her ears. The victim’s telephone was taken from her after the attack but she finally was able to report the crime the next day when she was driven to a convenience store and refused to remain in the van as instructed by Wahtomy.

Chief U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill ordered Wahtomy to pay a $200 special assessment, complete sexual deviancy treatment, and serve ten years of supervised release after he completes his 14 year prison term. In imposing the sentence, Chief Judge Winmill said, “Perpetrating this kind of violence against a domestic partner is completely unacceptable.”

U.S. Attorney Moss praised the diligent work of the Fort Hall Shoshone Bannock Tribal Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “This kind of serious rape and assault case is deserving of the full investigative and prosecution efforts of the federal government. The skillful investigators and detectives who have handled this case are highly commended.” Moss also praised the victim for the courage and strength she demonstrated in reporting the horrific crime and testifying in court against her attacker.