Round Valley Tribal Member Convicted of Domestic Violence Sentenced to 87 Months Imprisonment

Spokane – Joseph H. Harrington, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Walter Richard Harrington, age 54, a member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes recently residing in Tieton, Washington, was sentenced today after having pleaded guilty on November 2, 2017 to assault by strangling on Indian Reservation. United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Harrington to an 87-month term of imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court supervision after he is released from federal prison.

According to information disclosed during court proceedings, in March 2017, Harrington brutally beat, strangled, and kicked an adult female within the external boundaries of the Yakama Nation Indian Reservation. Due to the violent nature of the attack, the victim suffered multiple injuries including two broken ribs. Harrington was serving a term of probation at the time of the assault. Harrington has a long criminal record including convictions for rape, assault, theft, and six separate convictions for driving under the influence.

United States Attorney Harrington said, “This case is yet another example of the strong working partnerships developed among Tribal, County, and Federal law enforcement agencies. Prosecuting domestic violence assaults that occur within any of the four Indian Reservation in the Eastern District of Washington is a priority for the United States Attorney’s Office.”

This case was investigated by the Yakama Nation Tribal Police Department, the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Tom Hanlon, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.