Pine Ridge Man Indicted on Assault and Firearm Charges

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault With a Dangerous Weapon and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

Timothy George Buckman, age 36, was indicted on January 12, 2021.  He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta L. Wollmann on January 22, 2021, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  Restitution may also be ordered.

The Indictment alleges that on December 8, 2020, Buckman did unlawfully assault two individuals with a firearm with the intent to do bodily harm.  Buckman is also a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms.  The charges are merely accusations and Buckman is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice's signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.  Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department's past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.  For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

The investigation is being conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins is prosecuting the case.   

Buckman was detained pending trial.  A trial date has not been set.