A Whatcom County man, Jason Sieber Sr., has been sentenced to 51 months in prison for an assault that resulted in serious bodily injury. The sentencing took place in U.S. District Court in Seattle and was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Sieber, a member of the Lummi Nation, was charged federally in February 2024 for the incident that occurred on October 20, 2023.
During the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez described the attack as "horrific" and noted its potential to have ended the victim's life. According to case records, Sieber became angry with his intimate partner over dinner preparations and proceeded to assault her severely.
Prosecutors detailed the extent of the assault in their sentencing memo: “Sieber’s assault of Victim 1 on October 20, 2023, was brutal and prolonged." They recounted how he inflicted multiple injuries over several hours, causing significant physical harm and disfigurement to his partner. In addition to physical violence, Sieber used threats against her life during the ordeal.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn Forstein shared one such threat made by Sieber: “He said ‘I could kill you right now and stuff you in a crab pot and no one would ever find you.’”
The victim reported the incident ten days later to Lummi Nation Police. Initially charged in tribal court, the case was referred to federal prosecutors. Despite being charged with assault, Sieber attempted to influence the victim's account of events leading to a determination that he tried obstructing justice.
Following his prison term, Sieber will be under three years of supervised release. The investigation was conducted by both the Lummi Nation Police Department and FBI as part of the Safe Trails Taskforce. The prosecution team included Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn Forstein and former Assistant United States Attorney J. Tate London.
