Fort Belknap man admits assaulting two women on Fort Belknap Indian Reservation

GREAT FALLS — A man accused of firing a pistol at two women in a housing area on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation admitted to an assault charge today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Gilbert Raymond Martinez, 32, of Fort Belknap and North Dakota, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. Martinez faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The court set sentencing for Sept. 19. Martinez was detained pending further proceedings.

In court documents, the government alleged on May 17, 2021, Martinez fired a 9mm pistol at two women in the Newtown Housing area of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. The second woman told the responding officer that if she had not moved out of the way, the bullet would have hit her.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI, Fort Belknap Police Department and Blaine County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.

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