60-Year Sentence for Spirit Lake Man in Gun Assaults

FARGO – A 24-year-old man from the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation has been sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for his role in a string of violent assaults.

Dakota James Charboneau was sentenced on September 17, 2018, after pleading guilty to charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and use of a gun during a crime of violence.

The charges stem from a series of violent incidents that occurred on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation in 2017. On October 22, 2017, Charboneau assaulted two men, using the butt end of a gun to inflict serious bodily injury.

But Charboneau’s violence didn’t stop there. On November 20, 2017, he shot his former girlfriend in the face with a shotgun, leaving her with a permanent injury.

A high-speed chase through three North Dakota counties ensued on December 1, 2017, before Charboneau was finally apprehended.

Charboneau was convicted by a Fargo jury on June 8, 2018, and later pleaded guilty to the assault on his former girlfriend on September 17, 2018.

U.S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers praised the dedication and commitment of the agents and prosecutors who worked tirelessly to bring justice to the victims of Charboneau’s violent crimes.

Charboneau was also ordered to pay $800 in special assessments to the Crime Victims’ Fund and restitution to the victims for medical expenses. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Janice M. Morley.