Wounded Knee Man Indicted For Assault

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Wounded Knee, South Dakota man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly using a hard object to cause serious bodily injury to a female at Wounded Knee on December 28, 2012.

Lyle Sutton, Jr., age 26, was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 20, 2013 for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. Sutton appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on February 26, 2013 and pled not guilty to the indictment. The maximum penalty upon conviction for each charge is 10 years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The charges are merely accusations and Sutton is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wayne Venhuizen and Sarah Collins are prosecuting the case.

Sutton was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal. A trial date has been set for May 7, 2013.