White Swan Man Who Choked His Pregnant Girlfriend Sentenced to Federal Prison

Yakima, Washington - On October 21, 2024, Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Branden Scott Higgins, age 34, of White Swan, Washington, to nearly 3 months in federal prison for choking and assaulting his girlfriend. Chief District Judge Bastian also imposed 3 years of supervised release.

According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on September 10, 2023, Higgins and his girlfriend got into an argument about the couple's finances. The argument escalated into a physical fight with Higgins pushing, then choking the victim, who was 26-weeks pregnant. Higgins then let go of the victim's throat and grabbed a serrated knife and took two steps toward the victim before throwing the knife away.

The confrontation continued into the master bedroom. Higgins pushed the victim onto the bed and began to choke her until the victim began to lose consciousness. Higgins only stopped the assault when the couple's young child walked into the room.

"Everyone deserves to live in a safe home. My heart goes out to this young mother who told investigators she feared for her life and the life of her unborn child while she was being choked to the point of unconsciousness," stated U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. "My office is committed to holding domestic violence offenders accountable, which is central to addressing the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women and promoting safety and security on Tribal lands."

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Yakama Nation Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Letitia A. Sikes and Courtney R. Pratten.

1:23-cr-02056-SAB