Eagle Butte Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Child Abuse and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a man from Eagle Butte, South Dakota, convicted of Child Abuse and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing took place on September 22, 2025.

Richard Hale, Jr., age 36, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release on each count. The sentences are to run concurrently. Hale was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Hale was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2025. He pleaded guilty on June 26, 2025.

The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in October 2024 in Eagle Butte, which is within the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation. On October 5, 2024, Hale assaulted his intimate partner, repeatedly striking her head with a cell phone while she was holding their infant child. At one point, Hale grabbed the child by the arm. Hale’s intimate partner suffered a laceration to her head. The child suffered multiple injuries, including skull and arm fractures.

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 was investigated by the FBI and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services Detective Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.

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