Weaser gets 30 years following sexual assault

WALLACE — Several cases were heard this week at the Shoshone County Courthouse’s regular law day proceedings.

Among the cases heard were those of Adrian Brisbois and Zachariey Weaser, both of whom were scheduled to be sentenced this week.

Weaser, 21, pled guilty to two counts of lewd conduct with a minor, and was handed down a unified 30-year sentence on each count.

The August 2020 incident saw deputies from the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office who were dispatched to Shoshone Medical Center for the report of a 14-year-old female who had been assaulted.

During the course of the investigation, evidence was obtained showing that Weaser and the victim had been texting earlier that evening, but then that Weaser had snuck into her home without her knowledge, and sexually assaulted her that night.

Following the initial assault, Weaser pleaded with the victim not to tell anyone, and when she refused he attempted to strangle her.

In an effort to end the assault, the victim pretended to be dead — Weaser then proceeded to leave the victim’s home and attempted to dispose of evidence — including the victim’s cellphone.

The severity of the attack jarred Shoshone County Prosecuting Attorney Keisha Oxendine.

“The petechia (small red or purple spots caused by bleeding into the skin) observed on the victim in this case and the progression of those injuries even weeks after the attack are the most serious injuries I’ve seen in my career, short of death, in a case like this,” Oxendine said. “Weaser is the type of sexual predator that society needs protected from, and as a result, ensuring an outcome that involved a substantial prison sentence was the primary goal.”

Weaser’s defense attempted to cite his acceptance of responsibility, as well as his connections to the community as a reason to avoid significant prison time, but Deputy Prosecutor Ben Allen wasn’t having any of it.

On behalf of the state, Allen recommended a substantial prison sentence of 30 years for Weaser’s conduct in this case, focusing on the protection of society and Weaser’s conduct that supports he is a dangerous and violent sexual predator.

Weaser’s psychosexual evaluation categorized him as high risk to reoffend, which in turn led to Allen’s insistence that a lengthy sentence would not only be just due to the egregious nature of the crime, but also would be in the interest of community safety.

Judge Scott Wayman agreed with the state’s recommendation and showed little remorse for Weaser as he handed down his sentence.

“The problems that you have are not easily fixed and the department of corrections is the appropriate location for you to undergo the repairs that are needed for you to not pose a risk to those in the public,” Wayman said.

Wayman also issued a bench warrant for Adrian Brisbois, who had not followed through on the terms of his release stemming from an event that happened in December 2020.

Brisbois was arrested last year and charged with eight different drug-related charges, four felonies and four misdemeanors, of which he pled guilty to two felony counts of possession of a controlled substance and was scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday.

As part of his guilty plea, Brisbois needed to report to the District I Office of Probation and Parole to complete a pre-sentence investigation (PSI) questionnaire, which Brisbois failed to do.

As a condition of his bond, Brisbois also was released into the custody of the Good Samaritan Program, with the condition that he not leave until he completed the program.

According to a file read by Judge Wayman, Brisbois left the program facilities in the middle of the night and never made any contact with the program’s administrators — a violation of the terms of his release.

With Brisbois skipping out on both the PSI and the Good Samaritan Program, Wayman issued the bench warrant — a no-bond warrant — which will ensure that Brisbois remains in police custody and that his PSI gets completed.

“This is the natural consequence of the choices you’ve made,” Wayman said.

The judge vacated Brisbois’ sentencing until he is either arrested or turns himself in, at which point the necessary pre-sentence measures can be taken.