McLaughlin Man Pleads Guilty To Assault Resulting In Serious Bodily Injury

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Lehi James Demarrias, Sr., age 31, of McLaughlin, South Dakota, appeared before U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann on September 23, 2013, and pled guilty to Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. 
         
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years of imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, 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 conviction stems from an incident that happened in McLaughlin on July 17, 2013, when Standing Rock Agency Dispatch received a call regarding a male who had been stabbed in the stomach.  Bureau of Indian Affairs police officers arrived on the scene and were informed by the victim that he had been stabbed by Demarrias.  As a result of the assault, the victim had to undergo emergency surgery at a hospital in Bismarck, North Dakota, due to the possibility of a ruptured organ.
         
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Agency.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley is prosecuting the case. 
         
Demarrias was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing which has been set for December 30, 2013.