McLaughlin Man Pleads Guilty To Assault With Intent To Commit Murder

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Ross Dean Farrell, age 21, of McLaughlin, South Dakota appeared before U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann on May 28, 2013 and pled guilty to Count I of the Indictment that charged him with Assault With Intent to Commit Murder.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is 20 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both, 3 years of supervised release and an additional 2 years of supervised release upon revocation. Restitution and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund may also be ordered.

The charge stems from an incident wherein the Defendant was socializing with the victim and others in the basement of his home. At some point, the victim went to sleep on a mattress on the floor. The Defendant, outraged by a perceived slight he had received from either the victim or another person, found the victim and pulled him off the mattress onto the cement floor. The Defendant then proceeded to repeatedly stomp the victim on the head and face, with shod feet.

At the time of the attack, the Defendant intended to kill the victim, as shown by the severity of the attack. As a result of the attack, the victim was required to be hospitalized, had numerous emergency surgeries, and was placed into a medically induced coma. Injuries sustained include severe head trauma.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Agency and Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley is prosecuting the case.

Farrell was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing, which has been set for September 9, 2013.