United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Parmelee, South Dakota, man convicted of Witness Tampering and supervised release revocation was sentenced on March 31, 2014, by U.S. Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Ian James Burning Breast, age 21, was sentenced to 15 years in custody, 5 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Burning Breast was indicted for Witness Tampering by a federal grand jury on May 14, 2013. He pled guilty on Jan. 13, 2014.
On Nov. 12, 2012, Burning Breast was released from prison for a previous crime and began a term of court ordered supervision. He moved home to the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation, and did not comply with the terms of his release.
In January 2013, he sexually assaulted a relative. After the relative reported the abuse, Burning Breast was recorded on a phone call improperly pressuring the relative to withhold information from law enforcement investigators.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Maher prosecuted the case.
Burning Breast was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
