Porcupine Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assault within the Pine Ridge Reservation

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a man from Porcupine, South Dakota, convicted of one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing took place on August 18, 2025.

Elijah Keith Battese, 25, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Battese was indicted for two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon by a federal grand jury in January 2025. He pleaded guilty on May 2, 2025.

On September 27, 2024, Battese struck a juvenile male with a vacuum handle. The victim suffered a 1.4-inch laceration to his right-ear area, requiring eleven sutures from emergency medical services. The offense took place within the Pine Ridge Reservation.

This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.

This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.

Battese was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.