Man pleads guilty to strangling his dating partner

A man pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to a December attack on his girlfriend, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Imari Jamil Hines, 36, of Owasso, pleaded guilty to assault of an intimate/dating partner by strangling and suffocating in Indian Country.

In the early morning hours of Dec. 16, 2022, Hines and the victim got into an argument that turned physical inside the victim’s apartment. According to court documents, the victim told police that when the confrontation escalated, Hines pushed the victim and began strangling her. He then punched the victim in the face and banged her head on the ground repeatedly. The victim reported that she was able to flee the apartment, and Hines left the scene in her vehicle.

Officers observed bruising and red marks on the victim’s neck and petechiae in the victim’s eyes consistent with being strangled. They also noted the victim suffered a black eye and bruising on her face.

The FBI, Tulsa Police Department and Owasso Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko A. Boulieris is prosecuting the case.