Pine Ridge Man Guilty of Two Assaults
| U.S. Attorney’s Office November 19, 2013 |
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Lee Larney, a/k/a “Southern Wind,” 32, of Pine Ridge, South Dakota, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on November 14, 2013, and pled guilty to a charge of assault resulting in serious bodily injury and a charge of assault on a federal officer.
The maximum penalty for assault resulting in serious bodily injury is 10 years of imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, and the maximum penalty for assault on a federal officer is eight years of imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine.
In April 2012, at Porcupine, Larney struck a man several times in the face, causing injuries to the man’s jaw, teeth, and gums that required surgery. He also experienced ear pain and a temporary loss of hearing.
In August 2012, near Oglala, Larney punched an Oglala Sioux Tribe Police officer in the face while the officer was attempting to arrest him for intoxication.
The investigations were conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Collins.
Presentence investigations were ordered and sentencing dates will be set. Larney was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.