Pine Ridge Man Sentenced for Abusive Sexual Contact

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Pine Ridge man charged with Abusive Sexual Contact was sentenced on August 22, 2011, by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken. Derek Daniel Black Elk, age 23, was sentenced to 36 months of imprisonment, five years of supervised release, $7,142.50 in restitution, and a $100 victim assessment.

Black Elk was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 19, 2010. In September 2009, Black Elk engaged in sexual contact with a person unable to give consent. He pled guilty on June 1, 2011.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Oglala Sioux Tribe-Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Seiler prosecuted the case.

Black Elk was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshal.