Wanblee Man Sentenced to 174 Months in Custody

United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Wanblee, South Dakota, man convicted of three counts of Abusive Sexual Contact was sentenced on December 4, 2017, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.

Jason Poor Bear, age 42, was sentenced on three counts of Abusive Sexual Contact to a total of 174 months in custody, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $300 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  Poor Bear received 120 months’ custody on Count I, 30 months on Count II, and 24 months on Count III, to be served consecutively.  The five-year supervised release terms for each count were ordered to be served concurrently.

Poor Bear was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 17, 2013.  He pleaded guilty to the charges on June 23, 2017.

The conviction stems from Poor Bear using force to engage in sexual activity on May 29, 2013, at Wanblee, with the victim while she was incapable of declining participation.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Kelderman prosecuted the case.

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