Man Sentenced For Attempted Robbery On Reservation

A Wyoming man who attempted a robbery on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation was sentenced last week to 36 months in prison to be followed by three years supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Jesse Alex Sutherland, 37, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to one count of attempted robbery. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

The government alleged in court documents that on the evening of Nov. 21, 2023, the defendant went with a co-defendant to a remote residence on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation.

The co-defendant was armed with an AR-15 style rifle. The two men met with a third person outside the home. While still outside the residence the co-defendant fired one round into the ground and six into the air. He and the defendant then broke into the residence.

The two men assaulted the two occupants of the home, and the co-defendant struck them with the rifle while demanding access to a safe.

Sutherland was seen on surveillance video before and after the attempted robbery. He was arrested shortly thereafter wearing the same hoodie he wore during the attempted robbery.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law & Justice.