The Star - News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

A Nespelem man was sentenced in federal court Sept. 3 for assault with a dangerous weapon, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington said in press release last week.

Vernon Mason Saulque,32, pleaded guilty May 21, to four counts of the charge. Last Wednesday in United States District Court, Chief Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson sentenced Saulque to a 21-month sentence on each count, to run consecutively, for a total of 84 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of court supervision after he is released.

According to information disclosed during the court proceedings, on July 13, 2013, Saulque was at the Colville Indian Reservation home of one of the victims, when he was asked to leave because of inappropriate behavior.

A few minutes later, the four victims got into a car and left the house. About one block from the house, Saulque, who had stepped out of his truck and waited for the victims, fired 16 rounds at the car with an AR-15-22 semi-automatic rifle, striking the car eight times.

Fortunately, nobody was struck. Saulque fled in his truck. He was arrested a short time later by Colville Tribal Police.

“Firearm violence is a significant issue in this country and we are very appreciative of the hard work and complete investigation done by the Colville Tribal Police and the FBI,” United States Attorney Michael C. Ormsby stated.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington is, and will continue to be, committed to aggressively prosecuting violent crimes, especially those committed with firearms that occur within federal jurisdiction, including the Indian reservations in the District, Ormsby said.

This investigation was conducted by FBI and the Colville Tribal Police Department, with the assistance of the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab.

The case was prosecuted by Rudy J. Verschoor, an assistant U.S. attorney for the district.