Topline: A Umatilla County man who robbed the Wildhorse Resort & Casino at gunpoint and shot at a tribal police officer has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
Published: August 7, 2026 11:34 am ET
Shawn Fletcher
Committed to the craft of journalism and am driven by my desire to inform and inspire.
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Surveillance footage captures Javier Vigil leaving Wildhorse Casino on Aug. 17, 2022. (via U.S. Attorney's Office)
PORTLAND, OR — A Umatilla County man who robbed the Wildhorse Resort & Casino at gunpoint, opened fire on a responding tribal police officer and left a bystander hurt in the exchange has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, with the judge ordering that he serve the term at a federal psychiatric facility.
OregonLive reported U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman ordered Javier Vigil to a federal psychiatric center, citing diagnoses of schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder and opiate use disorder, while the U.S. Attorney’s Office said the 55-year-old also received five years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $2,040.71 in restitution to the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation.
According to court records, Vigil went to the casino on Aug. 17, 2022, at the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Pendleton and handed the cash cage teller a note demanding $1 million. Prosecutors said he then drew a pistol, pointed it at the teller and made threats, including saying he would “bathe everyone in blood,” while employees gathered the money.
After receiving more than $69,000, Vigil walked out of the casino and, upon seeing a tribal police officer, raised his gun and fired, authorities said. The officer returned fire, striking Vigil, and a bystander outside the casino was also injured by a stray bullet during the exchange.
Investigators later determined Vigil had acquired the firearm around Aug. 3, 2022, despite prior convictions that barred him from possessing one. A federal grand jury returned a six-count superseding indictment in December 2023, and Vigil pleaded guilty on April 7, 2026, on the second day of trial to robbery, being a felon in possession of a firearm with an armed career criminal enhancement, and attempt to commit murder.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Pendleton Casino Robber Sentenced to 20 Years, Ordered to Psychiatric Facility
A Umatilla County man who robbed the Wildhorse Resort & Casino at gunpoint and shot at a tribal police officer has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
By Shawn Fletcher
Published: August 7, 2026 11:34 am ET
Surveillance footage captures Javier Vigil leaving Wildhorse Casino on Aug. 17, 2022. (via U.S. Attorney's Office)
PORTLAND, OR — A Umatilla County man who robbed the Wildhorse Resort & Casino at gunpoint, opened fire on a responding tribal police officer and left a bystander hurt in the exchange has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, with the judge ordering that he serve the term at a federal psychiatric facility.
OregonLive reported U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman ordered Javier Vigil to a federal psychiatric center, citing diagnoses of schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder and opiate use disorder, while the U.S. Attorney’s Office said the 55-year-old also received five years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $2,040.71 in restitution to the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation.
According to court records, Vigil went to the casino on Aug. 17, 2022, at the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Pendleton and handed the cash cage teller a note demanding $1 million. Prosecutors said he then drew a pistol, pointed it at the teller and made threats, including saying he would “bathe everyone in blood,” while employees gathered the money.
After receiving more than $69,000, Vigil walked out of the casino and, upon seeing a tribal police officer, raised his gun and fired, authorities said. The officer returned fire, striking Vigil, and a bystander outside the casino was also injured by a stray bullet during the exchange.
Investigators later determined Vigil had acquired the firearm around Aug. 3, 2022, despite prior convictions that barred him from possessing one. A federal grand jury returned a six-count superseding indictment in December 2023, and Vigil pleaded guilty on April 7, 2026, on the second day of trial to robbery, being a felon in possession of a firearm with an armed career criminal enhancement, and attempt to commit murder.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Latest Articles
Pendleton Casino Robber Sentenced to 20 Years, Ordered to Psychiatric Facility
A Umatilla County man who robbed the Wildhorse Resort & Casino at gunpoint and shot at a tribal police officer has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
By Shawn Fletcher
Published: August 7, 2026 11:34 am ET
Surveillance footage captures Javier Vigil leaving Wildhorse Casino on Aug. 17, 2022. (via U.S. Attorney's Office)
PORTLAND, OR — A Umatilla County man who robbed the Wildhorse Resort & Casino at gunpoint, opened fire on a responding tribal police officer and left a bystander hurt in the exchange has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, with the judge ordering that he serve the term at a federal psychiatric facility.
OregonLive reported U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman ordered Javier Vigil to a federal psychiatric center, citing diagnoses of schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder and opiate use disorder, while the U.S. Attorney’s Office said the 55-year-old also received five years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $2,040.71 in restitution to the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation.
According to court records, Vigil went to the casino on Aug. 17, 2022, at the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Pendleton and handed the cash cage teller a note demanding $1 million. Prosecutors said he then drew a pistol, pointed it at the teller and made threats, including saying he would “bathe everyone in blood,” while employees gathered the money.
After receiving more than $69,000, Vigil walked out of the casino and, upon seeing a tribal police officer, raised his gun and fired, authorities said. The officer returned fire, striking Vigil, and a bystander outside the casino was also injured by a stray bullet during the exchange.
Investigators later determined Vigil had acquired the firearm around Aug. 3, 2022, despite prior convictions that barred him from possessing one. A federal grand jury returned a six-count superseding indictment in December 2023, and Vigil pleaded guilty on April 7, 2026, on the second day of trial to robbery, being a felon in possession of a firearm with an armed career criminal enhancement, and attempt to commit murder.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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