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12/17/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/18/2024 08:23

St. Francis Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Assault With a Dangerous Weapon (DOJ)

Press Release

St. Francis Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Assault With a Dangerous Weapon

Tuesday, December 17, 2024
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of South Dakota

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a St. Francis, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault With a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing took place on December 16, 2024.

Martin Metcalf, age 52, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Metcalf was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2023. He pleaded guilty on September 19, 2024.

The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on November 24, 2023, in Todd County, South Dakota, within the boundaries of the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On that date, Metcalf entered his girlfriend's home and threatened to kill her and her children with an AR-15-style rifle. At one point, Metcalf struck his girlfriend on the arm with the rifle. One of the children called 911 while Metcalf was distracted, and law enforcement responded shortly thereafter. Metcalf will forfeit ownership of the firearm to the United States.

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 is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Senior Litigation Counsel Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.

Metcalf was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Updated December 17, 2024
Topics
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Indian Country Law and Justice
Violent Crime