Garret Lee Monroe, Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Force in Indian Country, Oklahoma 2025

Garret Lee Monroe, 37, Convicted of Raping 16-Year-Old in Vinita, Oklahoma

A federal jury in Tulsa, Oklahoma has returned a guilty verdict convicting Garret Lee Monroe, 37, of Vinita, Oklahoma, of Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Force in Indian Country. The crime occurred on November 30, 2025, in Vinita, Oklahoma.

According to court documents, Monroe strangled and raped a 16-year-old minor victim in the early hours of November 30, 2025. The victim stated that while Monroe was strangling her, she could not breathe and thought she was going to die. She began screaming and Monroe put a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her. Monroe then proceeded to rape the minor victim. After he was finished, Monroe told the victim he was afraid he was “gonna go to prison” and offered to pay the victim $500 a week not to tell anyone.

Monroe, a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe of Wyoming, is a prior felon with a history of serious offenses, including assault and battery on an officer, assault and battery with a deadly weapon, and robbery. In 2007, Monroe was sentenced to 20 years in the Department of Corrections, with 16 years suspended. Monroe did not comply with the terms of his release. His suspended sentence was revoked, and he was released seven months prior to the rape.

Monroe's conviction comes after a three-day jury trial. The jury returned a guilty verdict on the charges of Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Force in Indian Country. The FBI, the Vinita Police Department, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Tulsa Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stacey Todd and Blithe Cravens prosecuted the case. The case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Monroe is currently awaiting sentencing. The exact sentence will be determined by the court at a later date. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes and supporting victims of sexual abuse.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndok/pr/vinita-man-convicted-federal-jury-raping-16-year-old