North Dakota man charged with attempted murder pleads guilty to lesser charges
Apr. 17—GRAND FORKS — A Buxton, North Dakota, man was sentenced to two years in prison on Monday, April 17, for multiple felony charges.
Jeffery Kollin Mundis, 29,
initially pleaded not guilty to all seven felony charges.
On April 17, he pleaded guilty to four Class C felonies: aggravated assault, terrorizing, preventing arrest and contact by bodily fluids.
Per the plea agreement, his Class A felony attempted murder charge was dismissed, along with two Class C felonies: contact by bodily fluids and simple assault.
Mundis was sentenced to five years with three suspended. He has credit for 108 days in custody.
On Dec. 31, 2022, Ashley Marie Johnson said she was attacked by Mundis inside her trailer. She was able to escape but, when she returned, the back bedroom was on fire, according to an affidavit in the case.
"Johnson stated that she tried to get Mundis to leave the trailer, but he refused. He then grabbed Johnson, pushed her into a bedroom, and held her to the bed by her throat and told her, 'If I'm going to die, you're going to die,'" the affidavit said.
Johnson told law enforcement she was able to get away from Mundis by hitting him, the affidavit said.
When emergency personnel arrived on scene, the trailer was fully engulfed with smoke and flames, according to the affidavit.
Law enforcement instructed Mundis to move away from the fire, but the affidavit states he resisted, spitting in an officer's face. He was eventually arrested.
Leah Jo Viste, Mundis' attorney, told the court Mundis had been intoxicated at the time and has issues with alcohol use. She said Mundis doesn't remember the incident.
"He has expressed deep remorse to me," Viste said.
Mundis is required to complete mental health and chemical dependency evaluations, and follow through with their recommendations.
Following release, Mundis will be on supervised probation for three years. If he violates any conditions of probation, he could be resentenced.
