Strangulation charges lead to deferred sentence for Moorcroft man

Dustin Regan of Moorcroft has received a deferred sentence on charges of strangulation of a household member after an incident in 2018 during which police were alerted of his presence in a local bar showing signs of having been assaulted.

On October 1, Moorcroft Police Department responded to a call from dispatch that a person who appeared to have been assaulted was present at Deere Haven bar. The subject was identified as Regan.

The officer visited Regan at his residence and observed he had visible injuries to his face and was bleeding. He was directed to speak with a female resident of the home.

Regan claimed the female subject had beaten him and that he did not respond to the attack. The officer sought out the female subject and asked for her version of the incident.

According to court reports, the female subject stated that Regan had “jumped her back”, putting her in a headlock. She allegedly claimed that Regan had been holding her around the throat and she had feared he was trying to break her neck.

When asked about Regan’s injuries, the female subject showed the officer her hands, which allegedly appeared free of any marks that would suggest she had hit anything. The only mark was a swollen palm, which she claimed was caused by Regan slamming her down on the floor.

The female subject’s neck allegedly showed slight red marks and a blotchy spot. When he returned to Regan in the downstairs area, the Sheriff’s Office deputy who had remained with the suspect stated that Regan had claimed he put the female subject in a headlock after she swung at him.

Regan pled no contest to the charge and entered into a plea agreement. He was given a deferred sentence through which he will be placed on supervised probation for a period of five years; should he violate the terms of probation, Regan will face a sentence of up to ten years’ incarceration and a $10,000 fine.