Browning man admits kidnapping, strangling woman

GREAT FALLS – A Browning man accused of kidnapping a woman and strangling her in two separate assaults in 2020 on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.

Nash Devine Angel Ingraham, 19, pleaded guilty to kidnapping and to strangulation of a dating partner. Ingraham faces a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release. A plea agreement in the case calls for a term of between 135 months to 168 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release to be imposed if the federal district court judge accepts the agreement at sentencing. The judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Sentencing was set for Aug. 26, and Ingraham was detained pending further proceedings.

In court documents, the government alleged that on Feb. 10, 2020, the victim, identified as Jane Doe, met up with Ingraham in Browning, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Doe left Ingraham’s house and went to a friend’s place to sleep. Ingraham arrived at the friend’s house the next morning, jerked the victim out of bed, forced her out of the house and then force-marched her across Browning, assaulting her along the way. Ingraham took Doe to his house where he continued to assault her. Law enforcement officers went to Ingraham’s house multiple times looking for Doe, but the family refused to open the door. Officers responded to the house a third time, and Doe exited the house. Officers observed injuries on Doe.

The government further alleged that Ingraham strangled Doe to near unconsciousness on Dec. 17, 2020 during an assault at a Browning residence, where he had held her for about four days. Doe went to a hospital in Browning and reported the assault.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.

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