McAlester residents Billy James Menees and Ashley Dawn Marie Schardein have been sentenced for child abuse and neglect, as announced by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
Menees received 192 months of imprisonment for one count each of child abuse and neglect in Indian Country, with terms to be served concurrently. In a separate proceeding, Schardein was sentenced to 240 months in prison for similar charges, also to be served concurrently.
The sentences follow a federal jury's guilty verdict rendered on February 23, 2023. The charges stemmed from a multi-agency investigation involving the McAlester Police Department, the District Attorney’s Office for District 18, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Authorities responded to a welfare call on May 9, 2020, and discovered an underweight 10-year-old child in poor condition within the residence shared by Menees and Schardein. Evidence presented at trial showed the child had been mistreated since January 2019, facing isolation, confinement, and physical abuse.
The offenses occurred in Pittsburg County, under the jurisdiction of the Choctaw Nation Reservation and the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
“There is no justification for the abuse endured by the child victim in this case," stated Doug Goodwater, FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge. "Thanks to the vigilance of a caring third party who reported the abuse, and the thorough investigation by the FBI and our law enforcement partners, justice has been served for these two defendants.”
District 18 District Attorney Chuck Sullivan expressed gratitude for the efforts of law enforcement, urging the public to report suspected child abuse. “Together we can make a difference in protecting the most vulnerable in our communities,” he said.
United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson remarked on the severe nature of the crimes. “The defendants’ horrific acts of abuse and neglect are deserving of lengthy prison sentences," he stated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti presided over the hearings, held in Oklahoma City. Both Menees and Schardein remain in custody awaiting transfer to a designated prison facility to serve their non-paroleable sentences. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Paladino and Caila Cleary.