United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault by Strangulation and Suffocation was sentenced on November 9, 2016, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Tommy Blue Bird, age 28, was sentenced to 78 months of imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Blue Bird was charged on May 24, 2016, and pleaded guilty on August 5, 2016. The conviction stems from Blue Bird striking a woman with his fist and other objects, as well as strangling her over a period of four days.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson prosecuted the case.
Blue Bird 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
