U.S. Department of Justice
DAVID E. O’MEILIA
United States Attorney
Northern District of Oklahoma

Tahlequah Man Sentenced to Prison for Domestic Assault in Indian Country

United States Attorney David E. O’Meilia announced that Brandon Lee Frailey, age 34, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to prison today in federal court in Tulsa for a violent assault on his estranged wife.

U.S. District Judge H. Dale Cook sentenced Frailey to eight years imprisonment for the crimes of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Domestic Assault and Battery in the Presence of a Minor. On August 4, 2007, Frailey repeatedly hit, kicked and choked his wife at her residence in Pryor, Oklahoma. The victim’s five year old daughter witnessed the violent attack. As a result of the beating, the victim sustained serious bodily injuries. Frailey was prosecuted in federal court because the crime occurred in Indian Country (on property inside Cherokee Nation Tribal jurisdiction), where major criminal offenses fall under the jurisdiction of the United States Courts. The defendant is also of Indian descent.

U.S. Attorney O’Meilia stated “This prosecution demonstrates the continuing commitment of my office and the Department of Justice to prosecute violent crimes occurring on Indian land, including domestic violence offenses.”

The charges against Frailey were the result of a joint investigation by the Cherokee Nation Marshals Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U. S. Attorney Trent Shores represented the government in this matter.