Fort Yates man sentenced on assault charge involving mother

Acting U.S. Attorney Lynn Jordheim announced that on Tuesday, Matthew St. Pierre, 24, Fort Yates, N.D., was sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Daniel L. Hovland on a charge of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. St. Pierre pleaded guilty on Nov. 2, 2009.

Hovland sentenced St. Pierre to serve three years and five months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. St. Pierre was ordered to pay restitution of $7,115 and to pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victim's Fund.

The offense occurred on Jan. 7, 2009, at St. Pierre’s home in Fort Yates on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. St. Pierre and his mother were both consuming alcohol and began arguing about statements St. Pierre’s mother had made to St. Pierre’s girlfriend. After being pushed by his mother, St. Pierre retaliated by hitting her in the head and face multiple times, causing injury to her head and eye. The injury to her eye

was so significant that her eye ultimately had to be removed.

Hovland said the sentence was imposed, in part, because of St. Pierre’s prior history of domestic violence.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs - Standing Rock

Agency.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Volk prosecuted the case.

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