Lower Brule Man Charged with Assaulting a Federal Officer

US Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Lower Brule, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury.

Elmer LaRoche, age 26, was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 11, 2012, for Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer. LaRoche appeared before US Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on December 20, 2012, and pled not guilty to the indictment. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 20 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both. The charge is merely an accusation, and LaRoche is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Assistant US Attorney Meghan N. Dilges is prosecuting the case. LaRoche was remanded to the custody of the US Marshal. A trial date has not yet been set.