Garfield Pleads Guilty To Aggravated Sexual Abuse
A Poplar man accused of sexual abuse on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation admitted to charges on Tuesday, June 17, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Chucho Cruzito Garfield, 21, pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual abuse. Garfield faces life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is set for Oct. 15, 2025. Garfield was detained pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that on June 14, 2022, law enforcement responded to a report of drunk juveniles fighting at a residence in Poplar, Montana. When the officers arrived, one of them talked with Jane Doe’s brother who told the officer Doe was inside the home. He claimed Garfield held a knife to Doe’s throat and prevented her from leaving a backroom of the house.
An officer saw Doe inside the house, was familiar with her from previous interactions and was aware that the Fort Peck Tribal Court had issued a “pick up and hold” for her. After confirming with dispatch that the “pick up and hold” for Doe was still active, the officer went into the house and arrested Doe. Garfield was also arrested after Doe reported that he had given her a black eye the day before – and a bruise was visible beneath her eye – and he had prevented her from leaving the house by holding a knife to her throat.
Ultimately, Doe reported Garfield walked her from her house to his house on June 14. While outside the house, Doe’s brother confronted Garfield about the black eye. Garfield grabbed Doe by her arm and jerked her inside the house. Doe told Garfield she wanted to go home, but Garfield told Doe she had to have sex with him and let him slap her around before she could go home. Garfield then forced Doe to perform oral sex on him, and he held a black pocketknife to her throat and chest during the assault.
Garfield initially denied striking or sexually abused Doe but eventually admitted Doe was telling the truth: he had forced her to perform oral sex on him.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice conducted the investigation.
