Three Individuals Sentenced for Child Neglect, Endangerment on the Red Lake Reservation

MINNEAPOLIS - Three individuals living on the Red Lake Indian Reservation have been sentenced for felony child neglect and felony child endangerment, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between February 2022 and January 2023, Robin John Roy, 55, Nicole Robyn Roy, 29, and Harrison Edwin Dudley Sr., 36, willfully deprived minor victims of necessary food, health care, and supervision despite their reasonable ability to make the necessary provisions, resulting in substantial harm to the minor victims' physical, mental, and emotional health. Trial evidence established that one of the minor victims suffered from severe anemia as a result of malnourishment, and despite repeat efforts by health care providers to intervene in the child's condition, the child nearly died as a result of the defendants' collective failure to provide needed care. Trial evidence also established that both children suffered from prolonged lice infestations that progressed to life-threatening scalp infections.

On February 16, 2024, following a six-day trial before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel, all three defendants were found guilty of felony child neglect. Nicole Roy and Dudley were also found guilty of felony child endangerment. All three defendants were sentenced on September 5, 2024, by Judge Brasel. Robin Roy received 24 months of probation, Nicole Roy received 12 months and a day in prison followed by three years of supervised release, and Dudley received four months in prison.

In handing down the sentences, Judge Brasel stated she had balanced the relative culpability and the relative nature and circumstances of each defendant. She emphasized that the neglect the children had suffered was "no less serious than an act of assault" because "the injuries that resulted were certainly life threatening," the neglect went on for a long time, there were "relatively easy" steps the caretakers could have taken, and the caretakers nonetheless willfully failed to take action for the children's basic needs. Judge Brasel remarked, "The children in this case, and all of the children like them, deserve better."

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey E. Middlecamp and Rachel L. Kraker prosecuted the case.