Onamia Man Sentenced to Over 24 Years for Illegal Possession of Gun After Assault

An Onamia man has been sentenced to a little more than 24 years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm following a domestic assault.

37-year-old Justin Lyle Cutbank was convicted by a federal jury of one count of possession of a firearm in March 2023 and was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court to 292 months in prison, followed by five years probation. Because Cutbank had prior felony convictions, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms at any time.

Cutbank was arrested at a home near Bena in November 2020 when Leech Lake Tribal Police initially responded to a report that Cutbank had assaulted and threatened a woman with a gun. Later, authorities located a rifle with no serial number and a knife.