A Tulsa man has been sentenced to 210 months imprisonment for aggravated sexual abuse and assault by strangulation in Indian country.
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill handed down the sentence to 38-year-old Denzil Austin Berryman, a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, on January in a federal court.
Berryman was convicted in January of aggravated sexual abuse and assault by strangulation in Indian country. He was also ordered to pay $5,375 in restitution.
According to trial testimony, the abuse occurred in June 2023, when Berryman became enraged after seeing candy that he believed was a gift from someone else. He began screaming at the victim, slapped her, shoved the candy down her throat, punched the bedroom door, broke several electronics in the apartment, and threatened to harm her cat.
The victim called 911, and when officers responded, Berryman told them he would leave. However, he did not go and began crying and apologized to the victim. The victim allowed Berryman to return to her apartment, where he forced her into her bedroom and sexually assaulted her.
Berryman then proceeded to strangle the victim, causing her to pass out. When she woke up, he forcibly raped her. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Ihler and Stephen Scaife prosecuted the case.
Berryman will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The Office on Violence Against Women has resources for survivors of domestic violence and can be found here.
The defendant was sentenced to 210 months imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Upon his release, he will also be required to register as a sex offender.
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Key Facts
- State: Oklahoma
- Category: Violent Crime|Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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