Hays Woman Pleads Guilty to Strangulation on Fort Belknap Reservation

GREAT FALLS — A Hays woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to strangling another woman during an alcohol-fueled altercation on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, marking another federal prosecution of violent crime on tribal lands.

Rochelle Lynn Jones, 37, admitted to one count of strangulation in federal court before Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris. She faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release when sentenced December 17.

Jones remains in federal custody pending sentencing.

According to court documents, Jones and the victim consumed alcohol together on June 10, 2024, before getting into an argument. During the dispute, Jones choked the victim, who said she could not breathe and briefly lost consciousness.

Two witnesses observed the strangulation and intervened to stop the assault, then contacted police for help.

The case represents another example of federal prosecutors handling serious violent crimes on Montana’s Indian reservations, where federal authorities have jurisdiction over major crimes. In July, a Harlem man pleaded guilty to sexual assault on the same reservation, while an August case involved a Wyoming man sentenced to more than 10 years for sexual assault on the Crow Reservation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Hendricks prosecuted the case. The FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.

U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme announced the guilty plea Tuesday.