Red Lake Man Indicted for Running Another Vehicle off the Road

MINNEAPOLIS—A federal indictment unsealed yesterday charges a 30-year-old Red Lake man for running a vehicle driven by a woman off the road while on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. The indictment, which was filed on April 22, 2013, charges Tony Lee Lussier with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. The indictment was unsealed following Lussier’s initial appearance in federal court.

The indictment alleges that on May 12, 2012, Lussier assaulted the woman with intent to do bodily harm, with a motor vehicle. The woman was driving a Pontiac Bonneville, which was allegedly forced off the road by Lussier, who was driving a gray van.

If convicted, Lussier faces a potential maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. All sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge. This case is the result of an investigation by the Red Lake Tribal Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura M. Provinzino.

Because the Red Lake Indian Reservation is a federal-jurisdiction reservation, some of the crimes that occur there are investigated by the FBI in conjunction with the Red Lake Tribal Police Department. Those cases are prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.