Nespelem man sentenced to two years for social media threats

A Nespelem man was sentenced in federal court earlier this month to two years in prison for threatening his already-battered ex-girlfriend over social media, US Attorney Joseph H. Harrington said.

Davis Henderson Tatshama Sr., age 36, an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, was sentenced March 17 after pleading guilty on December 17, 2020 to “Threats in Interstate Commerce.”

In January 2020, over the course of approximately 11 hours, Tatshama sent a series of Facebook messages to his ex-girlfriend, who is also Native American. Tatshama threatened to kill and otherwise harm her while intending to harass and intimidate her, according to information disclosed in court.

At the time, Tatshama was the defendant, and his ex-girlfriend was the victim, in two pending Colville Tribal Court cases alleging assault by strangulation and battery. Tatshama later pleaded guilty to the tribal charges, and the tribal court sentenced him to 270 days’ confinement.

United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Tatshama this month to 24 months in prison for the Threats in Interstate Commerce charge, to be followed by a three-year term of court supervision.

“The sentence imposed by the Court reflects the serious nature of harassing and intimidating threats directed toward domestic violence victims who report the abuse they have suffered,” Harrington said. “The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington works closely with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to ensure that Native American women and families are protected not only from domestic violence, but also from retaliation when they disclose what they have experienced.”

This case was investigated by the Spokane Resident Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Colville Tribal Police Department and prosecuted by Special Assistant U. S. Attorney L. Vander Giessen, and Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington Richard R. Barker.