Onamia man sentenced to 24 years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm

The Bemidji Pioneer, Minn.
·2 min read
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Jan. 24—MINNEAPOLIS — An Onamia man has been sentenced to 292 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for illegal possession of a firearm following a domestic assault.

According to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice, on Nov. 19, 2020, Leech Lake Tribal Police were dispatched to a residence following a report that 37-year-old Justin Lyle Cutbank, of Onamia, had physically assaulted a woman, held her at gunpoint, threatened to kill her and then fled into the woods.

Shortly after officers arrived at the scene and took the victim's statement, a neighbor reported that Cutbank was in their garage and refused to leave.

Officers from multiple agencies responded and found Cutbank barricaded in the garage, the release said. Several hours of negotiations followed, with Cutbank retreating into the attic of the garage and refusing to surrender.

Ultimately, officers were able to apprehend Cutbank, who continued to actively resist arrest. The following day, officers searched the wooded area where Cutbank had fled and found a Marlin Model 100 .22 caliber rifle with no serial number, a knife and the victim's cell phone.

Because Cutbank has multiple prior felony convictions he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time, the release said.

According to court records, Cutbank's previous felony convictions in Minnesota include third-degree assault in 2016, felon in possession of a firearm in 2015, second-degree assault in 2012, robbery in 2011, terroristic threats in 2010, and others dating back to 2005.

On March 17, 2023, Cutbank was convicted by a federal jury on one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. He was sentenced on Tuesday in U.S. District Court.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Leech Lake Tribal Police Department, the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force and the Cass County Sheriff's Office.