Oglala Man Guilty of Manslaughter
| U.S. Attorney’s Office July 18, 2011 |
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Beau Dean Black Smith, age 20, of Oglala, appeared before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken on July 18, 2011, and pled guilty to a charge of voluntary manslaughter. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 15 years’ imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine.
On January 30, 2011, near Oglala, Black Smith stabbed another man in the chest after a physical fight, killing him. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe-Department of Public Safety. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins.
A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date was set for October 24, 2011. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing.