Cranberry Township Resident Sentenced to Prison for Assault of Girlfriend During Cruise

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in federal court to 12 months of incarceration on his conviction of assault by striking, beating, or wounding, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Quintin Owens, 28, also ordering Owens to pay a $5,000 fine.

According to information presented to the Court, on or about October 11, 2022, Owens violently assaulted his girlfriend, also a resident of Western Pennsylvania, by punching her, throwing her to the ground, and strangling her in a choke hold while the two were aboard a cruise ship. The federal district court has jurisdiction over the assault in part because the crime was committed on the high seas.

In imposing the sentence, Judge Stickman spoke to the severe impact domestic violence crimes have on victims and promised that such crimes will be taken seriously in federal court.

Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Owens.