Wyoming Men Sentenced for Involuntary Manslaughter and Aiding and Abetting

U.S. Attorney for the District of Wyoming Christopher A. Crofts announced today that on January 9, 2014, Alan Brown, 61, and his brother Vernon Lee Brown, 54, both Northern Arapaho Tribal Members, were each sentenced in federal court to 84 months’ imprisonment with the Bureau of Prisons on one count of involuntary manslaughter and aiding and abetting (Alan Brown) and involuntary manslaughter (Vernon Brown).

The charges against Alan and Vernon Lee Brown stem from an incident that occurred on or about May 6, 2006, which resulted in the death of Tad Paul Barnson, 47, who was originally from Idaho Falls, Idaho, but resided in and around Riverton, Wyoming, at the time of his death. Alan and Vernon Lee Brown are life-long Wind River Indian Reservation inhabitants, and this crime occurred, in part, on the Wind River Indian Reservation.

In addition to the imprisonment, Alan and Vernon Lee Brown were also sentenced to three years of supervised release following confinement and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. The court will determine and order an appropriate restitution amount within 60 days.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Fremont County Sheriff’s Department.