Prison Sentence for Neopit Man Convicted of Separate Sexual Assaults of a Child and Adult Woman on Menominee Indian Reservation

Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that an individual received consecutive sentences totaling 180 months following convictions in separate cases for child sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact. The man, Peter Awonohopay (age: 37), formerly lived in Neopit, which is a community on the Menominee Indian Reservation.

The sentences, imposed on September 8, 2020, by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach, were the result of guilty pleas entered by the defendant on February 12, 2020. Judge Griesbach sentenced the defendant as follows:

Following the prison sentences, the defendant will serve the remainder of his life on supervised release.

 According to court documents, on June 17, 2019, the defendant had nonconsensual sexual contact with an adult female at her residence in Keshena. The defendant admitted to investigators he entered the woman’s house without her knowledge and attempted to have sexual intercourse with her while she slept.

In the second case, discovered after the June 2019 incident, the defendant engaged in a sex act with a girl who was between 12 and 16 years of age. This abuse occurred in 2018 at the defendant’s residence in Neopit. The defendant admitted engaging in sex acts with the child in June 2018.

 In sentencing the defendant, Judge Griesbach noted the crimes the defendant committed were “disgusting” and “horrendous.” Judge Griesbach recognized the courage of the victims for coming forward and reporting the crimes against them, which enabled the government to bring charges, and the court to impose a sentence designed to protect other children from the defendant. Judge Griesbach observed a strong need to protect the public from the defendant, who in 2006 received a 41-month sentence for sex offenses against a minor. Judge Griesbach also remarked upon the need to deter those would might consider similar actions.

The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier prosecuted.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

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