David Anthony Romannose, Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor, OK 2017

A Stilwell man stands convicted of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl during a cross-state road trip in 2017, culminating in a federal jury’s guilty verdict Wednesday in Tulsa. David Anthony Romannose, 45, was found guilty of aggravated sexual abuse by force and threat in Indian Country, as well as sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country, after a trial that laid bare the trauma inflicted on a child who once trusted him as a friend.

The abuse occurred on July 4, 2017, as Romannose, a citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, traveled with a group from a festival in Seiling toward New York. While inside a vehicle on the Will Rogers Turnpike/Interstate Highway I-44 near Vinita in Craig County — land recognized as Indian Country — Romannose attacked the girl in the backseat. The victim later recalled the group stopping at a Vinita rest area shortly after the assault, a chilling detail that helped anchor the timeline of abuse.

But the horror didn’t end in Oklahoma. Prosecutors revealed that Romannose continued to abuse the minor — a citizen of the Oneida Indian Nation — after the group returned to New York. The repeated violations left deep psychological scars, evident to family members who testified about the girl’s sharp behavioral decline: she grew withdrawn, angry, and distant. Investigators emphasized that such changes are often red flags in child sexual abuse cases.

The victim eventually found the strength to speak out, disclosing the assaults to a counselor and a family member. Her testimony during the trial was described as harrowing yet resolute. Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson praised her courage, stating, “She is to be commended for her courage and for stopping this defendant from preying on other children.”

Federal and tribal law enforcement agencies worked in tandem to bring Romannose to justice. The FBI, Oneida Indian Nation Police Department, Craig County Sheriff’s Office, and Craig County District Attorney’s Office led the investigation. Alvin M. Winston, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Oklahoma City, underscored the agency’s commitment: “Protecting children is a top priority for the FBI.”

David Anthony Romannose now awaits sentencing before Chief U.S. District Judge John F. Heil III on June 3, 2022. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gina S. Gilmore and Stacey P. Todd. The conviction marks a rare but critical victory in the fraught landscape of child abuse prosecutions across tribal jurisdictions, where jurisdictional overlap often hampers justice.