Fort Thompson Man Sentenced for Assaulting, Resisting and Impeding A Federal Officer

Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting and Impeding a Federal Officer was sentenced on September 28, 2015, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.

Tony O. St. John, a/k/a Anthony St. John, age 26, was sentenced to 17 months in custody, followed by 2 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

St. John was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 15, 2014.  He pled guilty on July 6, 2015.

The conviction stemmed from an incident on September 30, 2014, when a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) officer was called to the Lodestar Casino in Fort Thompson, due to a report of an unknown male attempting to get the keys of a vehicle from a female patron of the casino.  The officer arrived at the casino and spoke with the patron, who advised that as she was walking to her vehicle in the casino parking lot, she unlocked the door with her remote control.  As she approached her vehicle, the man walked up to her and demanded that she give him the keys to her vehicle. She locked the doors again and walked quickly back into the casino and notified security.

As the officer was talking with the woman, others in the casino advised him that the man was back in the parking lot. The officer approached the man, identified as St. John, and directed him to walk towards the officer. St. John did not comply and took off running.  Another BIA officer came to assist and both officers attempted to stop St. John, who continued to run and not follow commands. The second officer and St. John struggled on the ground, as the first officer attempted to get St. John in handcuffs.  At this time, St. John kicked the second officer in the face, while the first officer was still attempting to place a resistant St. John in handcuffs.  St. John then reached for the second officer’s gun in his holster, and was maced by the first officer with limited effect.  As the first officer was trying to get the handcuffs on St. John, he pulled that officer’s hand, causing his thumb and finger to bend backwards.  The officers were finally able to place handcuffs on St. John, who continued to struggle as they walked him to the car. Both officers received medical treatment and were employed as BIA officers and on duty at the time of the assault.

This case was investigated by the BIA, Crow Creek Agency.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.

St. John was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.