Lower Brule Man Sentenced For Assault

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Lower Brule, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury was sentenced on April 29, 2013, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange. Leonard Edwards, age 23, was sentenced to 27 months of imprisonment, 2 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. 

Edwards was indicted for the above offense by a federal grand jury on November 15, 2012.  He pled guilty on February 5, 2013.  The charge stems from an incident when Edwards, on August 25, 2012, was at a party at a home in Lower Brule.  Present were Edwards, the victim, and others.  Later in the evening, the victim decided to leave the party and took a bottle of alcohol with him.  Edwards followed the victim outside.  Once outside, Edwards walked up to the victim and struck him in the face with a closed fist.  The victim fell to the grounds, knocked unconscious.  As a result, the victim suffered multiple fractures to the jaw that required surgery to repair.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case. 

Edwards was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshal’s Service.