Two St. Francis men face multiple federal charges after allegedly assaulting a Rosebud Sioux Tribal Police officer.
Antoine Bear Robe, 22, and Eric King, 25, both pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court to charges of assaulting a federal officer in connection with an alleged assault Nov. 11 in Todd County. Both men are also charged with sexual abuse and aiding and abetting a crime for allegedly engaging in a sexual act with a woman who was incapable of giving consent.
King also faces two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon for allegedly assaulting a woman by biting and kicking her.
The maximum penalty upon conviction for assaulting a federal officer and for sexual abuse is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The assault charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine upon conviction.
Both men were detained pending trial.
In other federal court news:
* Todd Kal Wilcox, 27, Mission, pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact. He admitted to having sexual contact with a child who was 10 or 11 years old when the incident happened, between May 30, 1999, and July 21, 2001, in Todd County. The maximum penalty is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Wilcox was released on bond pending sentencing March 31.
* Rydell Iron Rope, 34, Timber Lake, pleaded not guilty to a two-count indictment charging him with aggravated sexual abuse of a child. Federal court documents show he is accused of having sexual contact with a child younger than 12 at Timber Lake between Jan. 1, 2003, and Nov. 13, 2006. The maximum penalty upon conviction is life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Iron Rope was detained pending trial.
* Carlos Torres-Ortiz, 33, Denver, pleaded not guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana. According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, the charge relates to incidents in July 2006 when Torres-Ortiz and others allegedly distributed marijuana and 500 grams of cocaine on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The maximum penalty upon conviction of conspiracy to distribute cocaine is a mandatory minimum of five years up to a maximum of 40 years in prison and a $2 million fine. The marijuana conspiracy charge is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine upon conviction. No trial date was set.
* Steve Buchanan, 55, Custer, pleaded not guilty to a charge of manufacturing a controlled substance. According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, the charge stems from an incident in February 2006 near Custer when Buchanan allegedly attempted to manufacture methamphetamine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison up to a maximum of 40 years in prison and a $2 million fine upon conviction. No trial date was set.
* Dominic C. Barrera, 38, Mission, made his initial court appearance on a four-count indictment charging him with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury and aiding and abetting. Federal court documents show Barrera and a co-defendant, George Casey Schmidt, are accused of assaulting two Todd County men with "shod feet" on Dec. 6 in Todd County. The maximum penalty upon conviction for each count is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Barrera was detained pending further court proceedings.
* Hutchinson Abdo, 19, Lower Brule, made his initial court appearance on an indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Abdo is accused of distributing and possessing with the intent of distributing marijuana within 1,000 feet of an elementary school, playground and youth center and to a person under 21 years old. No further details were available. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. Abdo was detained pending further court proceedings.
* Louis Boyd, also known as Louis Williamson Boyd Jr., 29, Mission, pleaded not guilty to a one-count indictment charging him with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. He is accused of possessing a firearm in September 2007, having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison. Federal court records show Boyd pleaded guilty to a sexual-abuse charge in 1999 and served one year and one day in custody. The maximum penalty upon conviction for the firearm charge is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He was released to a third-party custodian pending further trial.
