A Winnebago, Nebraska man has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for strangling his intimate partner, a Native American woman, on the Winnebago Indian Reservation.
According to the Department of Justice, United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Seth J. Lopez, 21, of Winnebago, Nebraska, was sentenced May 24, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for strangulation of an intimate or dating partner. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. handed down the sentence.
Lopez will serve the full 30 months, with no possibility of parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On December 7, 2022, the victim arrived at the Winnebago Police Department to report that she had been assaulted by Lopez. The victim was accompanied by another woman who had witnessed the assault.
According to the investigation, Lopez assaulted the victim when she attempted to leave his residence. The witness was yelling at Lopez to stop and when he let up, the victim was able to get up off the bed. Lopez then grabbed the victim from behind with his arm around her neck, dragging her back to the bed.
The victim tried to scream, but Lopez covered her mouth and face with his free hand, preventing her from screaming and breathing. Lopez’s father heard the altercation and told him to stop and let the victim go. The witness also saw Lopez pull out a knife and hold it toward the victim, but he did not attempt to use it.
The case was prosecuted in federal court because the offense occurred on the Winnebago Indian Reservation, giving the United States jurisdiction under the Major Crimes Act. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which has law enforcement jurisdiction for felony offenses on the reservations in the District of Nebraska.
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Key Facts
- State: Nebraska
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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