Zachary Stanley Knows His Gun Sentenced in U.S. District Court
| U.S. Attorney’s Office December 03, 2012 |
The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, on December 3, 2012, before Senior U.S. District Judge Jack D. Shanstrom, Zachary Stanley Knows His Gun, an 18-year-old resident of Lame Deer and an enrolled member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, appeared for sentencing. Knows His Gun was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 37 months
- Special assessment: $100
- Supervised release: three years
Knows His Gun was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to assault with a dangerous weapon.
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 the evening of July 29, 2011, the victim was drinking with his nephew. At some point they met up with a third person and then, later, met up with Knows His Gun. All four drove to Soldier Gulch Road where they parked the car and continued to drink. The victim and Knows His Gun were in the back seat of the car. The third person had a knife with him.
Two of the individuals got out of the car, which left the victim and Knows His Gun in the car. The victim and Knows His Gun began to argue about who was tougher. Knows His Gun asked the third person for his knife and stabbed the victim in the neck and back. The victim got out of the car and was able to run away. The victim identified Knows His Gun as the assailant.
Knows His Gun was interviewed and admitted that he stabbed the victim to prove that he was tougher.
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 conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.