Alejandro Dylan Rivera has pleaded guilty to assault with intent to commit murder in Indian Country, a federal charge that carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine as high as $250,000. Rivera entered the plea to the single count on Friday, according to federal authorities.
FBI Oklahoma City announced the plea in a post on X on Friday, stating that Rivera “has entered a guilty plea to one count of Assault with Intent to Commit Murder in Indian Country, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine,” according to FBI Oklahoma City
. The bureau said the case was investigated jointly with the Tahlequah Police Department. The same source also identifies the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service as an agency that worked the investigation alongside federal and local law enforcement.
The prosecution was handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, per the same account. No further details about the underlying incident, including the identity of any victim or the circumstances that led to the charge, were included in the information made available.
What the Charge Carries Under Federal Law
Assault with intent to commit murder in Indian Country is prosecuted under a federal statute that applies specific laws to certain offenses committed within Indian Country. The text of 18 U.S.C. § 1153, as published by the U.S. Code, House of Representatives, lists felony assault under 18 U.S.C. § 113 among the offenses covered and states that such conduct by an Indian within Indian Country falls under the same laws and penalties applied to other persons, within the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States. The excerpt does not spell out the specific penalty range tied to Rivera's particular charge beyond what FBI Oklahoma City has already stated.
A sentencing date and the eventual punishment Rivera will receive were not included in the information released Friday. The case remains open on those questions pending further proceedings.
How This Case Compares to Other Prosecutions in the Region
Cases charged under the same statute have surfaced before in eastern Oklahoma. A defendant identified only as Lawrence was sentenced to 78 months in prison on the same charge, per a separate release from that same office.
