Wyoming Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison After Pistol-Whipping, Choking, and Pointing Gun at People

In a recent news release from the Wyoming Department of Justice, a Fremont County man will spend four years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, on April 12, 2023, the Riverton Police Department received a report of a physical assault involving a handgun near the Riverton bike path. Witnesses observed John Goodman “pistol-whip” a man, knocking him to the ground, then beating him, before putting another person in a chokehold and pointing the gun at the person’s head.

Police say that afterwards, he walked over to a Murdoch's store and dropped the loaded 9mm pistol in the garbage. Goodman was indicted by a federal grand jury in May and pled guilty on July 21. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on October 31.

This crime was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with substantial assistance from the Riverton Police Department and the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted the case.

The release did not indicate if there were originally other charges that were dropped as a result of a plea deal.