Browning man sentenced to 18 months in prison for assaulting elderly small business owner on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

GREAT FALLS — A Browning man who admitted to beating an elderly small business owner while demanding money was sentenced today to 18 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Frederick Melvin Noon, Jr., 39, pleaded guilty in January to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court also ordered Noon pay $2,500 for reported lost wages.

In court documents, the government alleged that on March 21, 2023, Noon assaulted the victim, identified as John Doe, a small business owner who was in his 70s, while demanding money. Noon was intoxicated when he walked into the business and demanded money. When Doe refused, Noon became angry and started demanding that Doe retrieve money from a back room. Doe gave Noon a few dollars, but Doe was unsatisfied and began assaulting Doe. Noon grabbed Doe by the head and started scratching him, then threw him to the ground. Doe suffered broken bones and underwent surgery for injuries from the assault.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted the investigation.

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