Wood Man Charged with Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Child Abuse
| U.S. Attorney’s Office January 23, 2014 |
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Wood, South Dakota man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for assault resulting in serious bodily injury and child abuse.
Elias LaPointe, age 20, was indicted on January 15, 2014. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on January 21, 2014, and pled not guilty to the indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 15 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charges relate to an incident that took place on October 23, 2013, when LaPointe allegedly assaulted and abused a child under the age 7, and the said assault resulted in serious bodily injury.
The charge is merely an accusation, and LaPointe is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Maher is prosecuting the case.
LaPointe was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.