Former Department of Defense Employee Pleads Guilty to Strangulation and Knife Assault while Living Overseas

Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing of the Western District of Oklahoma, and U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations Commander Brigadier General Terry L. Bullard made the announcement.

Brendan Rowin Figuly, 31, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury before U.S. District Court Judge Bernard M. Jones.  Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.

As alleged in the government’s previous charging documents, Figuly was living in Okinawa, Japan, in connection with his employment for the U.S. Armed Forces.  Figuly was a civilian engineer working at Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa.

On April 11, 2020, Figuly was living in a multi-unit apartment building off-base.

That afternoon, he entered the apartment of a female neighbor, E.M., armed with a box cutter knife, and demanded to know where their landlord was, claiming that he wanted to kill the landlord.

Figuly then attacked E.M., strangling her until she fell unconscious, cutting her fingers with a knife, and striking her in the face with a baking dish.

E.M. fled to her apartment balcony, and Figuly pursued her, breaking the balcony door in the process.

E.M.’s husband J.M. then entered the apartment, at which point Figuly threatened to kill J.M.

Figuly then assaulted J.M. with a box cutter knife, before J.M. and another neighbor subdued Figuly.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

The prosecution is being handled by Trial Attorney Mona Sahaf of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Harley of the Western District of Oklahoma.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.