Kimball Man Sentenced For Assaulting, Resisting And Impeding A Federal Officer And Lacey Act Violations

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Kimball, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting and Impeding a Federal Officer and Lacey Act Violations was sentenced on January 10, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.

James R. Steckley, age 44, was sentenced to 2 days in custody with credit for one day, 6 months of home confinement, 2 years of supervised release, and a $25 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund on the Assaulting, Resisting and Impeding a Federal Officer charge.  He was sentenced to 40 hours of community service, a $7,500 fine, and a $25 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund on the Lacey Act Violations charge.  Steckley cannot possess guns for a period of 2 years and cannot hunt for 2 years.
         
Steckley was indicted for Assaulting, Resisting and Impeding a Federal Officer by a federal grand jury on September 19, 2012.  He was indicted for the Lacey Act Violations charge on February 13, 2013.  He pled guilty to both charges on October 29, 2013.

The convictions stem from an incident wherein Steckley, on September 6, 2012, interfered with a Special Agent with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service while that agent was investigating the Lacey Act Violations.  The investigation ultimately revealed that between November 27, 2011, and December 5, 2011, in Brule County, South Dakota, Steckley, then part owner of Steckley’s Wild Dakota Outfitters, a commercial hunting operation in Central South Dakota, hosted paying clients to hunt deer without appropriate licenses. 
         
This case was investigated by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the South Dakota Game Fish and Parks.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
         
Steckley will self-surrender to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.