LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Boulder City resident made his initial appearance in federal court yesterday for allegedly assaulting his significant other at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich of the District of Nevada.
Michael David Thompson, 66, of Boulder City, is charged with one count of felony assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a spouse or intimate partner. U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Koppe ordered Thompson to be detained in federal custody pending a jury trial scheduled to begin on December 1, 2020.
“There is no place whatsoever in our communities for violence against a spouse or intimate partner,” said U.S. Attorney Trutanich. “Following the launch of Project Veronica, our office has been making a renewed push to hold domestic violence offenders accountable — particularly during the pandemic, when many victims are isolated with abusers.”
According to court documents, in September 2020, at the Boulder Beach Campground within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Thompson allegedly struck the victim and placed his hands around her neck, causing her to yell and state “he is going to kill me.” The victim’s nose and orbital bone around an eye were fractured. National Park Service Rangers responded and observed facial bruising, two black eyes, lacerations to both lips, and additional bruising on the victim’s body.
Thompson faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.