Parmelee Man Indicted for Assault

United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Parmelee, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.

Darius Whipple, Sr., age 24, was indicted on January 21, 2016.  He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Moreno on February 4, 2016, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction for each count is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  Restitution may also be ordered.

The Indictment alleges that Whipple committed an assault with a knife on July 23, 2015.  It also alleges that he committed assault with a tablet computer on August 28, 2015, causing serious bodily injury.

The charge is merely an accusation and Whipple is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk W. Albertson is prosecuting the case.   

Whipple was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial.  A trial date has not been set.