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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sirens & Gavels

Tribal member pleads guilty to 2 rapes

A member of the Colville Confederated Tribes pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to two counts of aggravated sexual abuse.

Clarence J. Stensgar, Jr., was charged last September with sexually assaulting two different women in 2007 on the Colville Indian Reservation.

The charges carry a maximum sentence of up to life in federal prison, but Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Ohms recommended a sentence of just more than 11 years in federal prison.

As part of the plea negotiation, a third count of aggravated sexual abuse and a single count of kidnapping were dismissed, according to court records.

U.S. District Judge Frem Nielsen set Stensgar's sentencing for 9 a.m. on Oct. 12.



Thomas Clouse
Thomas Clouse joined The Spokesman-Review in 1999. He s currently the deputy editor for the business section. He previously worked as an investigative reporter for the City Desk and covering federal, state and local courts for many years.

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