Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for Voluntary Manslaughter, Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, and Child Abuse

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter, Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and Child Abuse was sentenced on September 3, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.

Dee Hawk Moran, age 23, was sentenced to a total of 156 months in federal prison.  He was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for Voluntary Manslaughter and 18 months in federal prison for Child Abuse, with such sentences to be served concurrently, followed by 3 years of supervised release.  He was also sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for Discharging a Firearm During and in relation to a Crime of Violence, with such sentence to be served consecutively to the other sentences.  Moran was also ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $300.

The convictions for Voluntary Manslaughter and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence stemmed from an incident that occurred in the early morning hours of November 11, 2017.  On that date, Moran was at a house party in Eagle Butte, where the victim was also present.  At approximately 3:00 A.M, the victim was in the garage and got into an argument with another man, who was also attending the party.  The victim took off his jacket and punched the man in the face.  Moran, who was nearby, then produced a .22 caliber pistol and fired multiple shots at the victim, mortally wounding him.  Moran was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 14, 2017.  He pled guilty on May 20, 2019.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The conviction for Child Abuse stemmed from conduct that occurred in 2015 and 2017.  Between September 1, 2015, and June 16, 2017, Moran cruelly exposed, tortured, tormented, and cruelly punished a child who had not attained the age of eighteen.  Moran was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 23, 2019.  He pled guilty on May 20, 2019.

These cases were investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the cases.

Moran was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.