Federal Jury Convicts Vian Resident Of Aggravated Sexual Abuse Of A Child In Indian Country

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Joshua Thomas Smith, age 41, of Vian, Oklahoma, was found guilty by a Federal jury of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child in Indian Country.

The jury trial began with testimony on Monday, June 27, 2022, and concluded on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, with the guilty verdict.

During the trial, the United States presented evidence that Joshua Thomas Smith sexually abused a child under the age of twelve from December of 2017 through March of 2018. The victim testified the defendant penetrated her vagina with his hand on multiple occasions.

The guilty verdict was the result of an investigation by the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case because the defendant is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crime occurred in Sequoyah County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The Honorable Bernard M. Jones, II, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, sitting in Oklahoma City, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of a presentence report. Sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. Smith was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending the imposition of sentencing.

Assistant United States Attorneys Edith Singer and Hannah Jones represented the United States.