GREAT FALLS, MT – A Wolf Point man on Wednesday admitted assaulting a woman with a hatchet at a residence on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif Johnson said.
Austin Lee Pipe, Sr., 30, pleaded guilty to assault resulting in substantial bodily injury. Pipe faces a maximum five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Pipe was detained pending further proceedings. Sentencing was set for April 15, 2021.
The prosecution said in court records that on Feb. 13, 2019, Pipe and the victim, identified as Jane Doe, got into an argument at Pipe’s residence. Pipe grabbed a hatchet and struck the victim in the arm and leg. The victim required medical treatment at the hospital.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Cobell is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Fort Peck Criminal Investigations.