Skip to main content
Press Release

Two Sentenced for Assaulting Federal Officer

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of North Dakota

BISMARCK – U.S. Attorney Timothy Q. Purdon announced that on Jan. 13, 2014, Adrienne Ducheneaux, 42, and Chad Lavallie, 40, both of Bismarck, N.D., were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel L. Hovland on a charge of assaulting a federal officer. Ducheneaux pleaded guilty to the charge on Oct. 18, 2013. Lavallie pleaded guilty to the charge on Sept. 10, 2013.

Judge Hovland, after acknowledging that Ducheneaux had amassed three months’ credit for time already served, sentenced Ducheneaux to serve an additional seven month split sentence with four months in federal prison and three months in a half-way house, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Ducheneaux was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victim’s Fund.

Judge Hovland sentenced Lavallie to serve one year and three months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Lavallie was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victim’s Fund.

On April 13, 2013, Lavallie was the driver of a vehicle, which was stopped by law enforcement officers near Fort Yates. Ducheneaux was a passenger in the vehicle. While a BIA officer was near Ducheneaux’s window, she grabbed the hand and thumb of the BIA officer and twisted his thumb backwards. As the officer was struggling with Ducheneaux, Lavallie stepped on the vehicle’s accelerator, speeding away from the scene. The officer was able to pull his arm free after having taken several steps with the vehicle.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Standing Rock Agency and the Standing Rock Police Department, with the assistance of the Standing Rock Tribal Prosecutor’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Delorme prosecuted the case.

Updated January 29, 2015