Pine Ridge Man Indicted for Assault

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for assaulting another man with a sharp object on November 2, 2011, at Pine Ridge.

Alphonso Belt, age 50, was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 15, 2011, for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. Belt appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on August 28, 2012, and pleaded not guilty to the indictment. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years in custody and a $250,000 fine. The charges are merely accusations, and Belt is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Belt was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal. A trial date has been set for November 6, 2012.