Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
A Bullhead, South Dakota man has been sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann on August 18, 2025.
Martin Joseph Taken Alive, 32, received a prison term of three years and six months, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Taken Alive was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2025 and pleaded guilty on June 2, 2025.
According to court documents, the incident occurred on January 4, 2024, at a home in Bullhead within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. Both Taken Alive and the adult male victim were heavily intoxicated when an argument broke out. Taken Alive used a knife to slash the victim across the chest before fleeing the scene. The victim’s wound was about six inches long and required hospitalization. Later that evening, Taken Alive turned himself in to law enforcement.
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell stated: "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 Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem served as prosecutor.
Following sentencing, Taken Alive was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
