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Press Release

Forsyth man admits to two separate assaults with weapons on Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Montana

BILLINGS — A Forsyth man accused of assaulting two men with a gun in one assault and assaulting a woman with a metal bar in a separate assault, admitted to charges on May 11, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. Both assaults were committed in Lame Deer, on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation,

Edward Leroy Widner III, 29, pleaded guilty to five counts in a superseding information charging him with two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury and three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. Widner faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on each count.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Widner was detained pending further proceedings.

The government alleged that on May 22, 2022 at Lame Deer, Widner assaulted two victims, John Doe 1 and John Doe 2, with a firearm. Widner went to John Doe 1’s residence and first assaulted Doe 2 in the living room by hitting him in the head with a pistol. Widner dragged Doe 2 into a bedroom occupied by Doe 1 and told Doe 1 to get up or Doe 2 was going to die. Widner then hit Doe 1 repeatedly in the face. At some point, the gun discharged, and a round went through the bed, a wall and into the ground outside of the residence. Doe 1 suffered serious injuries.

The government further alleged that in March 2020 at Lame Deer, Widner assaulted Jane Doe 1, who sought medical attention for serious injuries. At the time, Doe 1 declined to name her assailant citing increased danger if she were to speak to law enforcement. Doe 1 reported that Widner assaulted her with multiple objects, including a metal pipe. In a recent interview with the FBI, Doe 1 identified Widner as her assailant.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley is prosecuting the case. The FBI, Northern Cheyenne Investigative Services and Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted the investigation.

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Contact

Clair Johnson Howard

Public Affairs Officer

406-247-4623

Clair.Howard@usdoj.gov

Updated May 12, 2023

Topic
Indian Country Law and Justice
Press Release Number: 23-151