Arizona man gets prison for sexually assaulting woman at tribal resort-casino

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LAS VEGAS (AP) - A 26-year-old Arizona man who admitted to sexually assaulting a woman at a tribal resort-casino has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison, a federal prosecutor said.

Richard Anthony Hernandez, of Fort Mojave, also was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Richard F. Boulware II in Las Vegas to 15 years of supervised release after prison.

Hernandez’s attorney, Josh Tomsheck, said his client took responsibility for his actions at the resort-casino owned by the Fort Mojave tribe and called the sentence a fair resolution.

"Richard very much looks forward to serving his sentence as a model inmate and reintroducing to society as a better person than he was prior," Tomsheck said.

Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou said the woman was hospitalized for multiple face and head injuries and loss of consciousness after being punched repeatedly in the September 2018 attack at the casino near Laughlin.

The case was prosecuted in federal court because the crime occurred on tribal land and the victim is Native American. Chiou said the FBI and Fort Mojave police handled the investigation.