Department of Justice

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Dominic Nathaniel Alexander, age 36, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The government had asked the Court to impose an increased sentence due to Alexander’s “striking pattern of violence,” which included “beating and choking multiple domestic partners.” In imposing the sentence at the top of the advisory range, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Hala Y. Jarbou remarked on “the seriousness of this offense” and Alexander’s history of “assaultive” conduct.

“Today’s sentence sends a message to both perpetrators and victims of domestic violence,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “To perpetrators: if you illegally possess a firearm, federal agents and prosecutors stand ready to investigate and prosecute you to the fullest extent permitted by law. To victims: we see you, and we hear your silent cries for help. Please know there is hope, and that you are not alone.”

According to sentencing materials filed by the government, Alexander’s history of violence stretches back for nearly a decade, and includes multiple occasions on which he beat, choked, and strangled multiple domestic partners. In addition, in 2018, Alexander was convicted of stabbing an unarmed man in the back and throat, reportedly causing permanent damage. In this case, Alexander pled guilty to illegally possessing a pistol and 117 rounds of ammunition.

“Dominic Alexander is a convicted felon and a serial domestic violence abuser who illegally possessed and sold an illegal firearm. Above all else, accountability matters,” said ATF Detroit Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “Mr. Alexander is going to have a lot of free time to reflect on his consistent track record of illegal activity. Our community is a safer place today with Mr. Alexander off the streets.”

Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Across the nation and in Michigan domestic violence is a serious threat. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner. Moreover, studies have shown that domestic violence perpetrators often use firearms to abuse and control their victims, who are five times as likely to be killed if their abuser has access to a firearm.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan has brought other cases to address the threat of domestic violence, as well. This past June, for example, the Office announced a 15-year sentence for Mitchell Pierce, 45, of Muskegon after he pleaded guilty to stalking and being a felon in possession of firearms. Pierce had threatened to torture and kill his ex-wife, as well as kill her children, other family members, and friends.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Castle.

If you are a victim of domestic violence, resources are available. To contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline, call 1-800-799-SAFE or text “START” to 88788. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911.

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