JANUARY 2023:
Chief Judge, Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced an Okreek man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter.
Leon Good Buffalo, age 24, must spend 11 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
On October 28, 2021, Good Buffalo was consuming alcoholic beverages and socializing with the victim, an adult male, at a residence in Okreek. Good Buffalo and the victim began to argue, and Good Buffalo retrieved a shotgun from a bedroom. Good Buffalo and the victim then went outside of the residence, at which point Good Buffalo shot the victim in the chest. The victim died as a result of the gunshot wound.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, 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, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Good Buffalo was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
NOVEMBE3R 2021:
A 23 year old man from Okreek has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Second Degree Murder and Using and Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
Leon Good Buffalo pled not guilty.
The Indictment alleges that on October 28, 2021, in Todd County, Good Buffalo killed a man by shooting him with a shotgun.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson is prosecuting the case.
Good Buffalo was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
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