Keller Woman Sentenced to Probation for Aiding and Abetting the Violation of a Lawful Court Order

SPOKANE, WA—Michael C. Ormsby, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Lisa M. Gabriel, age 35, of Keller, Washington, was sentenced on Wednesday, September 4, 2013, after having previously pleaded guilty on June 5, 2013, to one count of aiding and abetting the violation of a lawful court order. United States District Court Judge Lonnie Suko sentenced Gabriel to a one-year term of probation. Judge Suko also prohibited Gabriel from applying for jobs in law enforcement or corrections for one year.

According to information disclosed during the court proceedings, Gabriel was employed as a corrections officer at the Colville Tribal Corrections Center in Nespelem, Washington. On March 14, 2011, Gabriel allowed an inmate, who was charged with domestic violence, to call the victim of that domestic violence on Gabriel’s cell phone, even though the Colville Tribal Court had issued a no-contact order in that case. On April 20, 2011, Gabriel, using a telephone in the Corrections Center, called the same victim and handed the phone to the inmate, again violating the no-contact order. During both telephone calls, the inmate attempted to coerce the victim into not testifying in his domestic violence cases. The April 20, 2011 telephone call was being audio and video recorded, but Gabriel turned off the audio recording device part-way into that call.

Michael C. Ormsby stated, “The justice system in this country, be it in federal, state, or tribal court, only functions if those entrusted to enforce the law do so diligently. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington will prosecute law enforcement and corrections officers that violate that trust when such violations occur within federal jurisdiction, including the Indian reservations in the district.

This investigation was conducted by FBI and the Colville Tribal Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Rudy J. Verschoor, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.