Lance Scott Michel, a 31-year-old man from Nespelem, Washington, has been sentenced to 216 months in federal prison for sex crimes involving children on the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.
According to court documents, Michel pleaded guilty to Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country and Sexual Abuse in Indian Country. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke handed down the sentence, which will be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release.
The case began in early 2023, when Michel started communicating with minor females on the reservation over social media. He provided them with items such as vaping products and cartridges, engaging in grooming behavior that ultimately led to the sexual abuse of two 15-year-old victims.
District Court Judge Dimke noted the aggravated nature of Michel’s crimes and applied a sentencing enhancement due to his forcible conduct against both minor victims. The sentence reflects the severity of the crimes and the need to protect children from predators like Michel.
United States Attorney S. Peter Serrano stated, “Mr. Michel targeted minors from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation with the explicit intent to sexually abuse them. Protecting children and holding accountable those who seek to exploit and harm them are top priorities of my office.” Serrano emphasized that his office will continue to seek out and prosecute these heinous crimes with the help of their dedicated team and partners, including the FBI and tribal authorities.
W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office, also commented on the case, saying, “Through social media, Mr. Michel gained the trust of minors on the Colville Reservation, trust he later took advantage of in the most unthinkable way. There is no question that his heinous actions were entirely deserving of today’s sentence. Protecting the lives and wellbeing of our nation’s children from those who seek to prey on them is, and remains, a top priority for the FBI and our partners.”
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Colville Tribal Police Department, with prosecution handled by Michael J. Ellis, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. The case is docketed as 2:24-cr-00028-MKD.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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