Great Falls man sentenced to three years for assaulting man on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls man who admitted assaulting another man with a baseball bat on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and illegally possessing ammunition was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

The defendant, Paul Joseph Valenzuela, 56, pleaded guilty in January to assault resulting in serious bodily injury and to prohibited person in possession of ammunition.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

The government alleged in court documents, that on Aug. 23, 2023, Valenzuela and others went to the victim’s residence on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Valenzuela and others assaulted the victim, identified as John Doe, with a baseball bat. John Doe suffered serious injuries, including multiple fractured bones. When law enforcement searched Valenzuela’s residence, they located 60 rounds of ammunition. Valenzuela was prohibited from possessing ammunition because of multiple prior felony convictions.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.

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