McLaughlin Man Sentenced for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a McLaughlin, South Dakota man convicted of assault resulting in serious bodily injury was sentenced on December 30, 2013, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.

Lehi James Demarrias, Sr., age 31, was sentenced to 57 months in custody, three years of supervised release, $3,287.41 in restitution, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Demarrias was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 23, 2013. He pled guilty on September 23, 2013.

The conviction stems from an incident that happened in McLaughlin on July 17, 2013, when Standing Rock Agency Dispatch received a call regarding a male who had been stabbed in the stomach. Bureau of Indian Affairs Police officers arrived on the scene and were informed by the victim that he had been stabbed by Demarrias.

The victim was originally taken to the Mobridge hospital where he was stabilized and then transferred to a hospital in Bismarck, North Dakota. Upon arrival in Bismarck, the hospital determined it was necessary for the victim to undergo emergency surgery due to the possibility that one of his organs was possibly ruptured. As a result of this incident, the victim sustained serious bodily injury.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.

Demarrias was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.