Source: Office of United States Attorneys
RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Frank Long Black Cat, age 31, of Pine Ridge, South Dakota, of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on April 9, 2025.
The conviction carries a maximum penalty of ten years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Long Black Cat was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2025.
Evidence at trial established that Long Black Cat used a knife to repeatedly stab another person in the Pine Ridge Indian 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. Attorneys Benjamin Schroeder and Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has been set for July 14, 2025.