Tyler Dale Medicine Horse, Jr. Sentenced in U.S. District Court
| U.S. Attorney’s Office October 25, 2012 |
The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, on October 25, 2012, before Chief U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, Tyler Dale Medicine Horse, Jr., a 27-year-old resident of Busby, appeared for sentencing. Medicine Horse was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 22 months
- Special assessment: $100
- Supervised release: 10 years
Medicine Horse was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to sexual abuse of a minor.
In an offer of proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Harper Suek, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
On March 4 and 5, 2012, Medicine Horse was drinking alcohol with the 15-year-old victim and some of the victim’s friends at his home near Busby, which is within the boundaries of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. All became intoxicated.
During the early morning hours when the victim woke up, her pants had been removed and Medicine Horse was having sexual intercourse with her. The victim told Medicine Horse to stop—he did not. When the victim returned to her home, she immediately reported the sexual assault. She was taken to the IHS clinic in Lame Deer, and a sexual assault examination was performed. Medicine Horse was found to be the source of the male DNA recovered during the examination.
Medicine Horse was interviewed twice during the investigation. He admitted that he engaged in sexual intercourse with the victim, that he knew she was 15 years old, and that it was wrong to engage in sexual intercourse with her.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the “truth in sentencing” guidelines mandate that Medicine Horse will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, Medicine Horse 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.