A federal judge in Denver has sentenced a 21-year-old Ignacio man to more than three years in prison for terrorizing two neighbors with a sawed-off shotgun last July.
Henry Elkriver Whiteskunk agreed to plead guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a sawed-off shotgun last December.
In addition to a 37-month prison term, he will spend another three years on supervised probation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
According to prosecutors, Whiteskunk showed up at a home in the Southern Ute Reservation making threats and wielding a sawed-off shotgun. The relationship between Whiteskunk and the intended victim was not disclosed.
As two people hid, Whiteskunk attempted to get inside the home and would pump the shotgun and yell threats, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which presented the case to a federal grand jury. He briefly pointed the gun at officers who arrived, then dropped it and ran, prosecutors said.
“He was taken into custody in front of his residence after a short chase,” according to a media release.
