Press Release

Batterer, Sex Offender Gets a Century in Prison

January 28, 2010

Anchorage, Alaska - Forrest Ahvakana of Barrow was sentenced Saturday to serve 100 years in prison under the "three strikes" law for certain felonies.

Ahvakana, 44, was convicted by a jury on Nov. 24 of assault in the first and fourth degrees, and burglary in the first degree. Superior Court Judge Richard Erlich of Kotzebue sentenced him to 99 years on the first-degree assault conviction - which is based on serious physical injury to a victim - and to an additional year for the fourth-degree offense, a domestic violence misdemeanor.

Ahvakana was exposed to the 99-year sentence due to prior convictions in 1987, for robbery in the first degree, and in 1990, for sexual assault in the first degree. He received sentences in those cases of five years and 15 years, respectively. Under Alaska law, there is a mandatory sentence of 99 years following conviction of a third Class A or unclassified felony.

In the most recent case, concerning events of Dec. 8, 2008, Ahvakana repeatedly struck Billy Kaleak with a large, empty whiskey bottle. Kaleak, who was assaulted in his own home, suffered serious blows especially to his head.

"The mandatory 99-year sentence is a strong tool that the Legislature has provided the state's prosecutors," said Attorney General Dan Sullivan. "We are hopeful that sentences like this will deter others from committing these types of serious crimes."

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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.