Bois Forte man found guilt of two counts violent assault

A federal jury found a Bois Forte man guilty of violent assault on the Bois Forte Indian Reservation. According to a release from U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger, 61-year-old Mark Allen Isham was found guilty on one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury and one count of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury. The trial took five days.

According to evidence presented at trial and court documents, beginning on or about March 13, 2023, Isham repeatedly and violently assaulted an intimate partner staying at his residence within the exterior boundaries of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa Indian Reservation. The physical assault escalated on March 19, 2023, when Isham became angry and started punching the victim with a closed fist.

According to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Isham kept his victim trapped inside the house for days without access to the victim’s wheelchair. On March 24, 2023, the victim managed to call 911 while Isham was outside chopping firewood. Two officers arrived at Isham’s home shortly afterwards. The DOJ report says Isham initially denied the victim was inside, prompting the victim to eventually call out to responding officers. The victim’s visible injuries included a split lip, black eye, and bruising on their arms, legs, and head. An ambulance was called to transport the victim to a local hospital.

The victim’s injuries required surgery to repair a broken jaw resulting from the violent assault at Isham’s residence.

A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Bois Forte Police Department.