Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
A man from Little Eagle, South Dakota, has been sentenced to federal prison after being convicted of child abuse. U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann handed down the sentence on September 15, 2025.
Leslie Gerald Bobtail Bear, 27, received a nine-month prison term followed by two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Bobtail Bear was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024 and pleaded guilty on June 16, 2025.
The conviction is related to events that took place between May 12, 2023, and November 21, 2024. During this period, Bobtail Bear and his romantic partner neglected their baby, resulting in the child's emergency hospitalization. The incident occurred in Corson County within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Major Crimes Act allows certain crimes that happen in Indian country to be prosecuted in federal court rather than state court.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem handled the prosecution.
Following sentencing, Bobtail Bear was remanded into custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
