Kassie Anita Birdinground Sentenced in U.S. District Court

The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, on November 17, 2010, before Senior U.S. District Judge Jack D. Shanstrom, KASSIE ANITA BIRDINGROUND, a 19-year-old resident of Crow Agency, appeared for sentencing. BIRDINGROUND was sentenced to a term of:

Prison: 37 months
Special Assessment: $200
Restitution: $20,793.84
Supervised Release: three years

BIRDINGROUND was sentenced in connection with her guilty plea to assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Harper Suek, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

During the early morning hours of July 11, 2009, a female individual was in a car that was broken down on the side of the road when she was picked up by BIRDINGROUND and two of BIRDINGROUND's friends. All were drinking and the female individual (the victim) was very drunk. At some point, while driving around Lodge Grass, which is within the exterior boundaries of the Crow Indian Reservation, BIRDINGROUND stopped the car and pulled the victim out of the car. BIRDINGROUND punched the victim, kicked her, beat her with the victim's belt, and then beat her with a wooden stick. BIRDINGROUND's friends hit and kicked the victim as well. They then left the victim at the scene of the assault.

BIRDINGROUND was questioned twice. During the second interview, she admitted that she struck the victim with a wooden stick and "probably broke her arm." When questioned, BIRDINGROUND's friends admitted to limited involvement in the assault and both stated that BIRDINGROUND repeatedly struck the victim with a wooden stick on her head and body.

The victim suffered a broken arm and multiple deep lacerations to her head requiring stitches and staples to close the wounds. She suffered severe facial trauma and a nasal fracture. These injuries were caused by the wooden stick.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that BIRDINGROUND will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, BIRDINGROUND does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15 percent of the overall sentence.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.