Lummi Nation member convicted of assault; 10-year sentence possible

A Lummi Nation member was convicted of assault by strangulation of an intimate partner in U.S. District Court in Seattle Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington reported.

Joseph Michael Quincy Jefferson, 35, was found guilty of the charge stemming from a 2023 incident following a 7-day jury trial. Jurors deliberated for about 90 minutes before reaching the guilty verdict, a statement from the office of U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman reads.

Jefferson faces as much as 10 years in prison after being convicted on the assault charge. He is scheduled to be sentenced April 10.

What happened April 8, 2023

Court records show on April 8, 2023, Jefferson assaulted the woman he was living with in multiple ways, including punching, pushing and strangling her.

“Sitting on her back he used the crook of his elbow to apply pressure to her neck, strangling her and causing her to black out twice,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office release explains.

After the victim woke up, she ran from the home where the assault took place barefoot in her underwear calling multiple people she knew seeking help. Once she left, the victim went to the Lummi Nation Police Department and to the hospital.

From there, the victim made consistent statements both to members of the police department and to the people providing her medical care that she had been strangled.

“Medical providers documented her injuries that were consistent with being punched, pushed into a metal bookcase, and strangled,” the press statement confirmed.

In addition, the victim’s nose was broken.

Crime blotter: Covering the crimes committed in the Puget Sound region

The Lummi Nation member claimed he acted in self-defense during his trial. The victim minimized Jefferson’s conduct during her testimony.

In closing arguments, prosecutors not only detailed “how the medical records and recorded statements proved the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt,” they also noted how anger and alcohol played a role in this assault.

“He was the aggressor … There is no evidence that he faced immediate use of unlawful force,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Celia Lee said. “This is a case of gratuitous, intentional violence from someone who was jealous, angry, and drunk.”

More information about the case against the Lummi Nation member

Jefferson has been in custody since his bond was revoked last October because of his ongoing contact with the victim, a violation of conditions to be released before his trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office added in its news release. He is still in custody and will remain there until sentencing.

The Lummi Nation Police Department and the FBI investigated the case and Assistant United States Attorneys Celia Lee and Erika Evans prosecuted it, Gorman’s office noted. Lee serves as a tribal liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The news release concludes by stating, “Ensuring public safety on tribal lands is a critical responsibility of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington.”

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.