Spirit Lake, North Dakota (trfnews.i234.me) — A Spirit Lake man has been sentenced to 33 years in federal prison following the horrific abuse and neglect of a three-year-old child that led to the toddler’s death in 2022.
The defendant, 29, appeared in U.S. District Court in North Dakota and was sentenced by a federal judge to serve 33 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release with conditions. He had previously pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, two counts of child neglect in Indian Country, and assault of a child with a dangerous weapon.
A co-defendant in the case, a woman also from the area, pleaded guilty to two counts of child neglect. She was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
The charges stem from events on the Spirit Lake Reservation in 2022, where the two adults left the young child alone in hazardous conditions while they used narcotics. The neglect and lack of care resulted in the child’s death.
Both defendants have been ordered to pay $62,000 in restitution to the North Dakota Department of Human Services for medical care expenses incurred prior to the child’s death.
Officials emphasized the gravity of the case, describing the abuse as “shameful, deliberate, and horrific.” The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office condemned the actions and reiterated their commitment to protecting vulnerable children within tribal communities.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.