U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref | U.S. Department of Justice
On December 19, 2024, United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Bojai Dominick Grant-Schmidt to fourteen months in federal prison for assaulting his girlfriend on the Spokane Reservation. The sentence includes three years of federally supervised release.
Court documents reveal that on May 10, 2024, in Ford, Washington, Grant-Schmidt physically assaulted his girlfriend by punching her in the face and placing her in a headlock. He also bit her on the scalp and finger and dragged her by her hair.
U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref emphasized the importance of addressing domestic violence cases on Tribal lands. "Everyone deserves to live a life free of domestic violence," she stated. "Prosecuting cases on Tribal lands that involve intimate partner violence is a critical tool to bringing justice to victims and safety to Tribal communities."
W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office, commended the victim for advocating for herself. "I hope this sentence provides her with some measure of comfort," he said. "Given the violence inflicted by Mr. Grant-Schmidt on his partner, it is clear his community will be safer with him in prison."
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Spokane Tribal Police and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael L. Vander Giessen.
