Pine Ridge Man Indicted on Assault Charges

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Pine Ridge, South Dakota man was indicted by a federal grand jury for kicking a man in the head during an argument and for striking an Oglala Sioux Tribe police officer in the face.

Lee Larney, a/k/a “Southern Wind,” age 32, was indicted on March 19, 2013, for assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and on April 16, 2013, for assault on a federal officer. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on September 12, 2013, and pled not guilty to the indictments.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is 20 years’ imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine. The charges are merely accusations, and Larney is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The investigations are being conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins is prosecuting the cases.

Larney was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. A trial date has not been set.