An 85-year-old Browning man has been sentenced to prison for 54 months after being convicted of rape in January.
Alphonse Bird was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Great Falls on May 21. Bird will also be under supervised release for five years after he serves his sentence.
On Jan. 15, a jury convicted Bird on one count of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of sexual abuse following a two-day trial. The jury acquitted Bird on a second count of aggravated sexual abuse.
According to federal prosecutors, Bird assaulted two different women in 2018. On both occasions he picked them up in his car and then assaulted them. In both instances, the victims immediately reported Bird to law enforcement. DNA evidence also connected Bird to both women.
U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said he was pleased with the result of the case.
“American Indian women face far too much violence,” he said. “The violence must stop, and offenders, regardless of their age, will be held accountable.”