An Emmonak man has been sentenced to serve 20 years in prison for manslaughter and burglary for an incident that resulted in the death of another man on New Year’s Day in 2021.
Rudolf Waska, 32, was initially charged with second-degree murder and a string of other felony charges for the death of 39-year-old Brian Agwiak. According to charging documents, Waska and another man showed up at Agwiak’s residence in the Yukon Delta community on Jan. 1, 2021, intending to steal alcohol. Early the following morning, a family member reported finding Agwiak beaten to death in his home.
Waska’s alleged accomplice in the crime, 38-year-old Darren Hootch of Emmonak, also faces charges of second-degree murder for Agwiak’s death. A hearing to set a date for a jury trial in Hootch’s case is scheduled for June 2 in Bethel court.
In November 2024, Waska pleaded guilty through a plea agreement to one count of manslaughter and one count of felony first-degree burglary.
On May 8, Bethel Superior Court Judge William Montgomery sentenced Waska to 20 years with one year suspended for the manslaughter conviction, and 10 years with nine years suspended for the burglary conviction.
