Crow Agency woman sentenced to prison in meth-driven assault of elderly man

BILLINGS—A Crow Agency woman who admitted to beating and injuring an elderly man while she was on methamphetamine was sentenced today 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Melissa Ann Prettypaint-Alvarado, 42, pleaded guilty in March to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

Prosecutors said evidence showed that the Bureau of Indian Affairs police responded on Nov. 18, 2018 to an assault that occurred at a Crow Agency residence on the Crow Indian Reservation. The 77-year-old victim said Prettypaint-Alvarado got angry and attacked him while he was lying on a bed. Prettypaint-Alvarado hit the victim in the face and head, tried to strangle him with a belt, pulled out a clump of his hair and bit his hand.

The victim was taken to Billings Clinic for treatment of injuries to his face, shoulder and eye area.  After the assault, the victim needed a cane to walk.

Prettypaint-Alvarado admitted to law enforcement that she is a meth user and was on meth at the time she assaulted the victim.

“Melissa Prettypaint-Alvarado’s attack on this elderly victim while she was on meth highlights the incredible violence that can result from meth abuse. Meth abuse and related violence is all too common in our communities and will not be tolerated. We will prosecute such crimes to the fullest extent of the law,” U.S. Attorney Alme said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Suek prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.