A seasonal employee working in the Old Faithful area of Yellowstone National Park will spend a year in federal prison following an assault on a co-worker. Owen Thunder Kennedy, 25, of Farmington, was sentenced Feb. 20 in federal court after admitting he assaulted a fellow seasonal worker while intoxicated during an incident in September 2021. Investigators say the victim reported the assault after Kennedy forcibly grabbed her, causing pain. Yellowstone National Park law enforcement investigated the case.
Full release from US DOJ:
Owen Thunder Kennedy, 25, of Farmington, New Mexico, was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment with one year of supervised release for assault by striking, beating, or wounding. According to court documents, the defendant and the victim in the case were seasonal workers at Yellowstone National Park in the Old Faithful area. On the night of Sept. 15, 2021, while the defendant was visibly intoxicated, he forcibly shoved his hand under the victim’s shorts and grabbed her genitalia hard enough to cause the victim pain. Yellowstone National Park Law Enforcement investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry J. Jacobson prosecuted the case. The defendant was indicted on Sept. 16, 2025, and pleaded guilty on Dec. 5, 2025. Chief United States District Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Feb. 20, 2026, in Cheyenne. Case No. 25-CR-00133
Source: DOJ
Photo: Megan Strickland Sacry