Bemidji Man Charged with Sexual Assault on Red Lake Reservation

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Bemidji man has been charged with sexual assault on the Red Lake Reservation, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. 

According to court documents, Brent Lee Sigana, Jr., 25, knowingly engaged in a sexual act with a victim who at the time was physically incapable of declining participation in the act or communicating unwillingness to engage in the act. 

The indictment charges Sigana with one count of sexual abuse of a person incapable of consenting. Federal courts have recognized that this law includes sex acts with individuals who are “physically incapable” of declining or communicating unwillingness due to being asleep or as a result of intoxication. Sigana made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on January 5, 2024, before Magistrate Judge Jon T. Huseby.

Investigators believe there may be other victims relevant to this investigation. If you have any information about other potential victims, please contact the FBI’s Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Red Lake Tribal Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Middlecamp is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.