PORTLAND — A Pendleton man was sentenced to federal prison Wednesday, Dec. 1, for shooting a family member with a semi-automatic pistol and distributing methamphetamine.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon in a press release announced Royce Francis Speedis, 34, was sentenced to six years, five months in federal prison and three years supervised release.

According to the press release, in early March 2019, Speedis and co-defendant Lavella Ruth Thompson, 28, also of Pendleton, arranged to purchase methamphetamine on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. On March 7, 2019, three individuals drove to the reservation to meet and sell methamphetamine to Thompson. Thompson arrived in a sports utility vehicle and tried to convince the three people to follow her to a second location to complete the sale. When they declined, Thompson returned to the SUV. Three men then exited the SUV with guns and opened fire into the sellers’ car.

One passenger in the sellers’ car was struck in the back of the head. The press released reported the injury was not life threatening.

The meth sellers provided conflicting accounts of Speedis’ involvement in the shooting. A ballistics analysis later linked a Ruger rifle recovered from Speedis’ family’s residence on the reservation to spent cartridge casings at the shooting scene. However, no arrests were made following the shooting.

Then on April 17, 2019, Speedis and his sister engaged in an argument with their cousin on the reservation. When the cousin attempted to leave, Speedis pulled a black semi-automatic pistol from his waistband and fired a single round that traveled through his cousin’s right leg into his left leg.

Six days later, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging Speedis with assault with a deadly weapon and using a firearm in connection with a crime of violence. On Aug. 19, 2020, Speedis was indicted a second time, along with Thompson, on one count each of conspiring with one another to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and interference with commerce by robbery.

Speedis a little more than a year later on Aug. 23 pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon and conspiring to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Thompson a couple of weeks later, on Sept, 7, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge. Her sentencing is Dec. 10.

Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.

The Umatilla Tribal Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

State court records show Speedis has criminal convictions going back at least 14 years, including for burglary and second-degree assault (2007), third-degree assault (2008), felon in possession of a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon (2014). State court records also show Speedis faces a third-degree assault charge in Columbia County.