Browning man sentenced for burning woman with hot knife on reservation

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Jesse Laslovich U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana

Browning man sentenced for burning woman with hot knife on reservation

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A Browning man has been sentenced to over three years in prison for assaulting a woman with a hot knife on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Dale Ray Racine, 32, admitted guilt in September 2024 to charges of assault with a dangerous weapon.

The incident occurred on February 14, 2024, when Racine was drinking at a residence in Browning. According to court documents, Racine heated a knife until it was red hot and used it to burn the victim, referred to as Jane Doe. Doe reported that Racine attempted to brand her neck, but she raised her hand to defend herself and suffered second-degree burns.

U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich confirmed that Racine will serve three years and five months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided over the case.

Racine committed this assault just one month after being released from federal prison for a previous offense in 2021, where he assaulted a man with a metal pipe.

The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and investigated by Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and the FBI, with support from the U.S. Marshals Service.

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