United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Little Eagle, South Dakota, woman convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon was sentenced on May 9, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Vivian One Feather, age 23, was sentenced to 21 months in custody, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
One Feather was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 12, 2015. She pled guilty on February 9, 2016.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on January 1, 2014, when One Feather and the victim, who had been involved in an intimate relationship for approximately six years at the time, got into an argument. One Feather told the victim to leave the house and as the victim was packing his clothes, One Feather requested that the victim stay. The victim continued to pack his belongings, at which point One Feather began to punch him in the face. The victim attempted to leave the residence, causing One Feather to grab a 4-5 inch kitchen knife and stab the victim, once to the arm and once to the ear. The victim bandaged his arm and left.
When interviewed, One Feather stated that she was not physically assaulted during the argument, and was not in fear for her safety or acting in self-defense when she stabbed the victim.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
One Feather was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.