Jasper Wade Half Sentenced In U.S. District Court

The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, on July 24, 2013, before Senior U.S. District Judge Jack D. Shanstrom, JASPER WADE HALF, a 37-year-old resident of Crow Agency and an enrolled member of the Crow Tribe of Indians, was sentenced to a term of:

Prison: 15 months

Special Assessment: $100

Supervised Release: 3 years

HALF was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to assault with a dangerous weapon.

In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Harper Suek, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

On May 20, 2011, HALF and the victim were drinking alcohol in Hardin. They left together and were on the off-ramp outside Hardin, when they began to argue. They pulled over and began to fist-fight. The victim beat up HALF. HALF got into his car and drove away across the interstate. He then turned around and returned to the exit. When HALF was on the on ramp, he stopped, pulled out a .22 caliber rifle from the trunk, and shot at the victim. HALF individually loaded the second round and fired again.

Shortly after HALF shot the gun, he was arrested by Big Horn County Sheriff's deputies. HALF initially stated that he had aimed the gun "in the air." Later, HALF reconsidered his previous statement and explained that he had pointed the gun at the victim and then up in the air.

A witness saw the incident and explained that, to her, it looked like HALF was pointing the gun at and shooting at the victim.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that HALF will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, HALF does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.