Skip to main content
Press Release

McLaughlin Man Charged With Assault With A Dangerous Weapon And Domestic Assault By An Habitual Offender

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

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury.
         
Lawrence Village Center, age 46, was indicted on November 14, 2013, for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Domestic Assault by an Habitual Offender.  Village Center appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes on November 19, 2013, and pled not guilty to the Indictment. 
         
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years of imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, an additional 2 years of supervised release upon revocation, and a mandatory $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  Restitution may also be ordered. 
         
The charges are merely accusations, and Village Center is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
         
The Indictment alleges that on August 31, 2013, Village Center assaulted his spouse with a hammer. 
         
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley is prosecuting the case. 
         
Village Center was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.  A trial date has not been set.                            


Updated June 22, 2015