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Press Release

Fort Thompson Man Sentenced for Assault

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of South Dakota

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, was sentenced on November 7, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.

Roland Hawk, Jr., age 20, was sentenced to two years and four months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  Hawk was also ordered to forfeit the firearm used in the offense.

Hawk was indicted by a federal grand jury in December of 2021. He pleaded guilty on August 15, 2022.

The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on May, 28, 2021, in Fort Thompson, wherein Hawk struck a sleeping man several time about the head and face with a pistol. As a result of the assault the victim received a laceration to his head. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. 

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services, Crow Creek Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.

Hawk was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

 

 

 

Updated November 17, 2022

Topics
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Violent Crime
Indian Country Law and Justice