John Henry Knows His Gun, Jr. Sentenced in U.S. District Court
| U.S. Attorney’s Office February 08, 2012 |
The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings on February 8, 2012, before Senior U.S. District Judge Jack D. Shanstrom, JOHN HENRY KNOWS HIS GUN, JR., a 21-year-old resident of Lame Deer, appeared for sentencing. KNOWS HIS GUN was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 36 months
- Special Assessment: $100
- Supervised Release: three years
KNOWS HIS GUN was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
In an offer of proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney E. Vincent Carroll, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
On December 29, 2010, after a time of drinking, KNOWS HIS GUN and another individual got into a fight with the victim in Lame Deer, which is within the exterior boundaries of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. The other individual began punching the victim, and when the victim fell to the ground, KNOWS HIS GUN hit the victim in the head twice with an ax handle, splitting the victim’s head open.
The victim was transported to a hospital in Billings where he was treated for, among other things, a six- to eight-inch laceration to the back of his head caused by being struck with the ax handle. The victim’s injuries resulted in a substantial risk of death, and extreme physical pain.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the “truth in sentencing” guidelines mandate that KNOWS HIS GUN will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, KNOWS HIS GUN does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for “good behavior.” However, this reduction will not exceed 15 percent of the overall sentence.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.