Tonkawa Man to Serve 77 Months in Federal Prison for Assault with Knife in Indian Country

OKLAHOMA CITY—Yesterday, VICTOR LEE KEMBLE, 40, of Tonkawa, Oklahoma, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange to serve 77 months in federal prison for assault with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, announced Sanford C. Coats, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma. In addition, Kemble was ordered to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term.  

According to court records, on August 24, 2009, Fort Oakland Police Department officers were dispatched to a residence located on the Fort Oakland reserve of the Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma located in Kay County. After investigation, officers learned that Kemble, a member of the Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma, had been fighting with another man, who was also a member of the Tonkawa Tribe, and stabbed him multiple times during the fight.

Kemble was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 15, 2009. On October 19, 2009, Kemble pled guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon resulting in serious bodily injuries.

In addition to the 77-month prison sentence, Chief Judge Miles-LaGrange set a hearing on June 24, 2010, to determine the amount of restitution Kemble will be ordered to pay for injuries and medical care for the victim.

This case is a result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Fort Oakland Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arvo Mikkanen.