A member of the Lummi Nation, Joseph Michael Quincy Jefferson, 35, was convicted in U.S. District Court in Seattle for Assault by Strangulation. The conviction was announced by U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman following a seven-day jury trial where jurors deliberated for approximately ninety minutes before reaching a guilty verdict. U.S. District Judge Lauren King has scheduled sentencing for April 10, 2025.

Court records and trial testimony revealed that on April 8, 2023, Jefferson assaulted his live-in partner by punching, pushing, and strangling her. He applied pressure to her neck using the crook of his elbow while sitting on her back, causing her to lose consciousness twice. After regaining consciousness, the victim fled the home barefoot and in her underwear to seek help from a friend and neighbor. She later reported the incident to the Lummi Nation Police Department and received medical attention at a hospital where her injuries were documented as consistent with being punched, pushed into a metal bookcase, and strangled.

During the trial, Jefferson claimed self-defense while the victim downplayed his actions during her testimony. However, prosecutors argued that medical records and recorded statements demonstrated Jefferson's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Assistant U.S. Attorney Celia Lee stated in closing arguments that "He was the aggressor... There is no evidence that he faced immediate use of unlawful force," describing it as an act of "gratuitous, intentional violence from someone who was jealous, angry, and drunk."

Jefferson has been detained since October 2024 after violating pretrial release conditions by maintaining contact with the victim. He will remain in custody until sentencing.

Assault by Strangulation carries a maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment.

The investigation was conducted by the Lummi Nation Police Department alongside the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Celia Lee and Erika Evans. Ms. Lee also serves as a Tribal Liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in ensuring public safety on tribal lands within the Western District of Washington.