Federal Indictments Returned Against Winnemucca Man for Shootings on Ft. McDermitt and Sex Trafficking of Minors

RENO—A Winnemucca man has been charged in two separate federal indictments with shooting at six persons on the Ft. McDermitt Indian Reservation on April 27, 2012, as well as sex trafficking of two victims, announced Daniel G. Bogden, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.

Adam Scott, 26, is charged in an indictment returned by the grand jury on May 9, 2012 with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. In a second indictment returned the same day, Scott is charged with one count of illegal transportation of a minor for prostitution and two counts of sex trafficking of a minor or with force, fraud, or coercion.

According to the indictment and criminal complaint filed in the shooting case, between 11:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. on April 27, 2012, Scott drove past a residence on the Ft. McDermitt Indian Reservation and fired multiple shots at the residence and at individuals located nearby. The indictment does not allege that anyone was injured during the drive-by shooting. Following the drive-by shooting, two individuals traveled to Scott’s residence, and Scott fired a gun at them, striking one of the individuals in the abdomen. Scott was arrested by FBI agents on May 1, 2012, and was ordered detained pending trial.

According to the indictment filed in the sex trafficking case, on about July 31, 2010, Scott knowingly transported a minor from California to Nevada with the intent that the victim engage in prostitution and between July 31 and August 11, 2010, Scott knowingly used force, fraud, and coercion to cause the minor victim to engage in sex acts. Scott is also charged with using force, fraud, and coercion to cause a second victim to engage in sex acts between August 11 and August 14, 2011.

If convicted, Scott faces up to 40 years in prison on the assault charges (20 years minimum) and up to life in prison (40 years minimum) on the sex trafficking charges, as well as fines of up to $1.75 million.

The assault case was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael W. Large. The sex trafficking case is being investigated by the Reno Police Department Street Enforcement Team in conjunction with the FBI as part of the Innocence Lost Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carla B. Higginbotham.

An indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.