Minnesota man sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for rape

(ABC 6 News) – A Red Lake man was sentenced on Tuesday to 239 months in prison for aggravated sexual assault, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. 

According to court documents, on November 7, 2020, John Paul Sayers, 30, stopped his truck beside a woman who was walking on the road.

Sayers offered her a ride, but instead of taking her to her destination, Sayers drove her to a camper located on a property near a Hemp shop where he worked.

When she resisted Sayers’s sexual advances, he hit and strangled her until she passed out, and then he raped her.

She eventually left the camper after the rape and began walking 20 miles back into town, said the court documents.

As part of his guilty plea, Sayers also admitted to unlawful sexual contact with another person.

Sayers pleaded guilty on April 20, 2022, to one count of aggravated sexual assault.

Sayers will also serve 10 years of supervised release for the aggravated sexual assault charge, attorneys add.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Red Lake Tribal Police Department, and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.