Red Lake Couple Convicted for Assaulting Their Baby

Earlier this week, a federal trial jury in Duluth convicted a Red Lake, Minnesota couple of child abuse. Following a four-day trial on July 22, 2010, the jury found Charles William Prentice, Jr., age 26, guilty on one count of aggravated assault and one count of child endangerment. The jury convicted Showy Shalette Johnson, age 25, of one count of child endangerment. Both were named in a superseding indictment on January 12, 2010.

According to the evidence presented at trial, on November 3, 2008, the child was presented to the emergency room at the Indian Health Services Hospital in Red Lake for a broken arm. The baby was referred for follow-up medical care and found to have multiple fractures in various stages of healing. In addition, both defendants were shown to have intentionally caused the baby to be placed in a dangerous situation, resulting in bodily harm.

For their crimes, Prentice faces a potential maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the assault charge and both Prentice and Johnson face a potential maximum penalty of five years on the endangerment charge. United States District Court Judge Donovan W. Frank will determine their sentences at a future hearing, yet to be scheduled.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Red Lake Children and Family Services. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clifford B. Wardlaw.

The verdict in this case was returned as President Obama prepares to sign the Tribal Law and Order Act, bipartisan legislation recently passed by Congress to bolster criminal justice resources on Indian reservations. Residents of reservations routinely experience violence at a rate many times higher than that of the general population.