Kenel Man Indicted for Habitual Domestic Abuse
| U.S. Attorney’s Office December 27, 2011 |
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Kenel man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for domestic abuse by a habitual offender.
Kerby St. John, age 44, was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 14, 2011. He appeared before United States Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes on December 22, 2011, and pled not guilty to the indictment. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years in custody, a $250,000 fine, or both.
The charge relates to an allegation that the defendant committed his third domestic assault on July 21, 2011, at Kenel, South Dakota. The charge is merely an accusation, and St. John is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Agency. Assistant United States Attorney Mikal Hanson is prosecuting the case.
St. John was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not yet been set.