Mobridge Man Sentenced for Child Abuse

United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Mobridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Child Abuse was sentenced on January 4, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.

Gabe Dubois, age 27, was sentenced to 6 months in custody, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment of $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Dubois was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 14, 2015.  He pled guilty on September 21, 2015.

The conviction stems from an incident on June 8, 2015, when an employee of Lucky’s Gas & More in Mobridge called the Mobridge Police Department to report that someone had stolen four cans of beer from Lucky’s.  Law enforcement was dispatched to Lucky’s and spoke with the employee who reported that Dubois took four cans of beer from a cooler, stuck them down his pants, walked up to the cash register, requested a book of matches from the clerk, and left the store without paying for his items. After reviewing video surveillance, law enforcement determined that Dubois had arrived and left the store in a black, four-door, Oldsmobile Alero.

Shortly after 5:30 PM on June 8, 2015, the Mobridge Police Department received a call from an employee at G&R Body Shop who informed law enforcement that a black Oldsmobile Alero with a male driver and female passenger kept speeding past the body shop.  The employee also stated the driver was wearing a black baseball cap.  While law enforcement and the employee were speaking, the car in question approached the shop and was identified by the employee.

Law enforcement pursued the vehicle and identified Dubois as the driver.  Law enforcement further noticed the driver was wearing a black hat, and saw a female in the passenger seat.  The vehicle had a North Dakota license plate, which was later found to be registered to Dubois.  At this point, the officer turned his squad car around and activated his emergency lights and siren.

Dubois fled from law enforcement through several streets in Mobridge, driving 47 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone and driving around a road block comprised of two police squad cars.  Law enforcement continued to pursue Dubois, who drove at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour, heading west across the Highway 12 bridge near Mobridge onto the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. Dubois continued to flee once he entered the reservation, turning north on Highway 1806, heading towards Kenel, South Dakota.  Because the chase had entered Tribal lands, Mobridge law enforcement notified the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Law Enforcement. 

Dubois continued north toward Kenel at speeds of 70 to 100 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour zone.  South of Kenel, Dubois lost control of the vehicle.  The vehicle spun to face south and continued into the ditch, rolling over multiple times, and landing upside down.  Multiple law enforcement officers and agencies responded to the crash.  The officers were able to extract Dubois from the driver’s seat, an adult female from the passenger seat, and a 17-month-old child, who is Dubois’s daughter.  There was a strong odor of alcohol emanating from the vehicle and the officers observed numerous open and empty cans and bottles of alcoholic beverages.

Dubois was interviewed by a Special Agent with the BIA.  Dubois admitted to not stopping for the officers when they engaged their lights because he did not want to go to jail.  When asked how fast he was going, Dubois said 100 miles per hour, but thought he had dropped down to 75.  He also admitted that his driving and eluding police placed his daughter’s life at risk of death or serious bodily injury.  He recognized that his actions would be considered a form of child abuse or neglect. 

This case was investigated by the BIA, Standing Rock Agency.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.

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