Fred Leading Cloud, a 68-year-old resident of Mission, South Dakota, was sentenced on July 13 to two years and four months in federal prison after being convicted of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. The sentencing was announced by United States Attorney Ron Parsons.
In addition to the prison term, Leading Cloud will serve three years of supervised release and must pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2025 and pleaded guilty on April 20, 2026.
The incident occurred on May 22, 2025, when Leading Cloud became involved in an altercation with another individual within the exterior boundaries of the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. During this altercation, he used a knife to stab the victim in the neck.
According to Parsons’ office, “This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal Court as opposed to State Court.” The case was investigated by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Zachrison.
Leading Cloud was immediately remanded into custody following sentencing. The U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota is responsible for enforcing federal laws across its district and supports initiatives aimed at improving public safety and quality of life; it also serves as chief law enforcement office handling both criminal prosecutions and civil cases, according to its official website.