Eastern Shoshone Man Sentenced for Aggravated Assault

United States Attorney Christopher A. Crofts announced that Ronald York, 23, of Ethete, Wyoming, and an enrolled member of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Indian Reservation, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on March 26, 2012. The defendant pled guilty to aggravated assault, in violation of 18 USC §§ 2, 113(a)(6) and 1153, and was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in the August 5, 2011 death of John Michael Crispin, III.

Although statements were made by York during the investigation of this matter that the crime was motivated by homosexual activity involving the victim, the defendant told the court at sentencing that this allegation was not true. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution for the victim’s funeral expenses. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.