Eagle Butte Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Violent Assault on Partner and Infant

Northeast Radio SD News – Eagle Butte, SD - A man from Eagle Butte, South Dakota, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison after being convicted of Child Abuse and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, according to an announcement from United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell.

Richard Hale, Jr., age 36, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte on September 22, 2025. Hale was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for each of the counts. The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently. Hale was also directed to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation in Eagle Butte in October 2024. According to court records, on October 5, 2024, Hale assaulted his intimate partner while she was holding their infant child. During the assault, Hale repeatedly struck his partner's head with a cellular phone, causing a laceration. Hale also grabbed the infant by the arm, resulting in the child suffering multiple injuries, including fractures to the skull and arm.

Hale was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2025 and pleaded guilty to the charges on June 26, 2025.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case under the federal Major Crimes Act, which mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in federal court.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services Detective Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case. Following the sentencing, Hale was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.