A Saginaw man was found guilty by a Detroit federal jury last Friday for the 2018 assault and strangulation of his then-girlfriend on the Isabella Indian Reservation. United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison, accompanied by FBI's Detroit Field Office Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, made the announcement.
Michael Lee Johnson, 45, faces a multitude of charges which include unlawful imprisonment, assault by strangulation, suffocation, domestic violence, and witness tampering. Having been watched by her children, the evidence showed that in October and November of 2018, the victim was held against her will, threatened, and repeatedly assaulted, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Following his arrest, Johnson was determined to have made over 100 attempts to contact the victim, hindering her from engaging with law enforcement and participating in the court proceedings. Standing before United States District Judge Lin Parker, Johnson's sentencing is currently set for February 5, 2025.
"Johnson’s conduct against this victim was egregious enough in and of itself, but was compounded by the fact that he committed these violent acts in front of innocent children," U.S. Attorney Ison stated, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The investigation was a collaborative effort by the Saginaw Chippewa Police Department and the FBI. Assistant United States Attorneys Roy Kranz and Tim Turkelson handled the prosecution of the case, which highlights ongoing efforts to confront violence against Native American women on tribal lands.
