Anthony John Maldonado, 32, has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for assaulting and strangling his partner. Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian also imposed three years of supervised release and a three-year federal no-contact order for the victim’s protection following Maldonado’s imprisonment.
Court documents reveal that on April 6, 2024, Maldonado assaulted his partner E.J. at her apartment in Wapato, Washington. During an argument, he punched E.J., causing her to fall. He then kicked and punched her before strangling her. E.J. managed to escape and call the police after biting Maldonado.
Maldonado had a history of domestic violence against E.J., resulting in charges and convictions in Yakama Nation Tribal Court. Two months prior to this incident, he entered into a Deferred Sentence Agreement requiring him not to harm or harass E.J.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Bastian recognized the existing “no harm or harass order” as a “court protection order” under the Violence Against Women Act during sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Bree Black Horse emphasized the seriousness of non-fatal strangulation as an offense, noting its link to potential homicide in domestic violence cases. She highlighted that Indigenous women face higher rates of crime victimization and Intimate Partner Violence than non-Indigenous people.
W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office, condemned Maldonado’s actions and affirmed the FBI’s commitment to addressing such violence in tribal communities.
The case is part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program aimed at preventing and responding to such incidents through collaboration with various partners.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bree R. Black Horse.
