Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Saint Francis, South Dakota man for assault with a dangerous weapon. The sentencing of Samuel Iron Shell, 23, took place on July 21, 2025.
Iron Shell received a sentence of three years and ten months in federal prison. After his release, he will be subject to three years of supervised release and must pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The charges against Iron Shell were based on an incident from December 24, 2024, on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. During this event, Iron Shell became angry and struck his significant other with a broomstick at a residence near St. Francis. The victim suffered a broken finger while attempting to protect herself.
The prosecution was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office due to the Major Crimes Act requiring certain violent crimes in Indian Country to be prosecuted federally rather than at the state level.
The case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement and prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson.
Iron Shell has been remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
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