Choctaw Woman Sentenced for Assault with a Deadly Weapon

Jackson, Miss. – Ida Mae Sam, 56, a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette III, to serve 68 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for assaulting another Choctaw Indian with a dangerous weapon and causing serious bodily injury, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze. Sam was also ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.

On April 25, 2015, Ida Mae Sam invited the victim and others to her residence located in the Pearl River Community on the Choctaw Indian Reservation. At some point during the day, Ida Mae Sam became involved in an argument with her boyfriend, and then with the boyfriend of the victim. She then went into another room, returned with a knife and stabbed the victim multiple times. The victim suffered large cuts and significant blood loss.

On April 18, 2017, a federal grand jury indicted Sam in a two-count indictment charging her with assault of another person with a dangerous weapon and assault causing serious bodily injury. A jury trial was held in Jackson, Mississippi, before U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette III from October 30, 2017 to October 31, 2017. On October 31, 2017, the jury found Sam guilty on all counts of the indictment.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Choctaw Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Keesha D. Middleton and Erin Chalk.