Soo Tribe Assailant Sentenced to Prison

MARQUETTE, MI—John Robert Gugin, 24, of Kincheloe, Michigan, a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury, U.S. Attorney Donald A. Davis announced today. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Robert Holmes Bell ordered Gugin to serve three years of supervised release following his release from prison and to pay a $200 special assessment. Gugin pleaded guilty to counts one and two of a federal indictment charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury on December 21, 2010. The charges stemmed from an incident at Gugin’s home in Kincheloe on May 18, 2010, during which Gugin assaulted his wife, hitting her with a board, and kicking her, breaking her ribs. Gugin also choked his wife into unconsciousness twice during the course of the assaults.

U.S. Attorney Davis commended the Sault Ste. Marie Tribal Police Department, the Chippewa County Sheriff Department, the Michigan State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their work in this case. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D. Lochner.