Anthony Jason Shell, 34, was sentenced on Thursday, Nov. 30 in Federal Court in Asheville on his prior plea to one count of Sexual Abuse of a Minor. The Honorable Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced Shell to a term of imprisonment of 37 months in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a term of Supervised Release for the rest of his natural life, and provisions regarding Sex Offender Registration in connection with Shell’s offenses from August of 2014.
Lead Tribal Prosecutor and Special Assistant United States Attorney Justin Eason said, “The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians have no greater or more precious resource than our children, and so crimes against children must be pursued to the fullest extent of the law. The people should know that cases of sexual abuse of children will be met with the harshest punishments and the most serious of consequences. The Federal Courts provide an unparalleled forum for the administration of justice, and it is the obligation of the Prosecutor’s Office to combat such offenses with every tool available to us.”
He went on to say, “The Special Assistant United States Attorney status agreement allows for serious cases such as this to receive prioritization and attention from start to finish. Cherokee is fortunate to have an excellent working relationship with its federal partners. I would especially like to recognize the diligence and professionalism displayed by our Tribal Police in the investigation of this case, and to thank Det. Sgt. Larry Jenkins for his efforts in seeing this case through. This case should send a message to people who abuse children on the Boundary that they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, be it Tribal or Federal.”
– EBCI Office of the Tribal Prosecutor
