Two Men Face Prison For Shocking Domestic Violence Incidents

Two separate federal cases in Wyoming have resulted in prison time served and supervised release, both involving domestic violence and related offenses.

In the first case, Jimmy Joe Black, a fifty-eight-year-old from Clinton, Oklahoma, was sentenced to time served for assaulting a dating partner and causing substantial bodily injury. At the time of sentencing, Black had served three months and twenty-four days in custody and will now serve two years of supervised release.

According to court documents, the assault occurred in April of 2023. The victim sought medical care for a wrist injury but did not report the incident as abuse until several months later. She told investigators the defendant was constantly with her and that she felt unsafe. Investigators were provided photographs of the injury and text messages in which Black apologized. The victim says the assault has caused lasting pain in her hand and wrist.

The FBI investigated the case. Black was indicted in July of 2024 and pleaded guilty earlier this month. U.S. District Judge Alan Johnson imposed the sentence.

In a separate case, Eddie Lee Shells, twenty-seven, of Riverton, was sentenced to time served and two years of supervised release for illegally possessing firearms after a prior domestic violence conviction. Shells had served one hundred forty-two days in jail at the time of sentencing.

Court records show Shells assaulted his live-in girlfriend, prompting a search by law enforcement. He was located in Campbell County last October, where he fled a traffic stop initiated by Wyoming Highway Patrol. After a short pursuit, Shells was arrested, and two firearms were found in his vehicle.

Shells had previously been convicted of domestic assault in 2021, which made it illegal for him to possess firearms. The case was investigated by the Division of Criminal Investigation, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, and Wyoming Highway Patrol. He pleaded guilty in September, and the sentence was handed down this month in Cheyenne.