Aberdeen, SD – Grimy Times has learned that Kendall Lee White Tail, a 34-year-old from Mobridge, South Dakota, has been hit with an eight-year federal prison sentence for a brutal assault. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann on August 18, 2025, also includes three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
White Tail was indicted in May 2024 and pleaded guilty on May 19, 2025. The attack occurred on June 25, 2023, when White Tail threatened a couple walking in McLaughlin, SD, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. Armed with a pistol and knife, he slashed a man’s face and leg, leaving him permanently blinded in his left eye and suffering fractured orbital and nasal bones.
This case was prosecuted under the Major Crimes Act, which requires certain violent crimes occurring in Indian country to be handled in federal court. The FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services led the investigation, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem handled the prosecution. White Tail has been remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Alison J. Ramsdell, United States Attorney, emphasized the severity of the crime and the need for federal intervention in such cases. ‘Violent acts like this have no place in our communities,’ she stated. ‘We will continue to ensure that justice is served, even when it falls under federal jurisdiction.’
Community leaders expressed relief at the sentence, with local residents calling it a long-overdue punishment for White Tail’s heinous actions. The attack has left a lasting scar on those affected and serves as a stark reminder of the violent crimes that can occur within Indian country.
The sentencing hearing was attended by family members and law enforcement officials who witnessed the gravity of the case. White Tail showed little emotion during the proceedings, reflecting the cold calculation with which he committed his crime. As the sentence was announced, many present felt a sense of closure to this dark chapter in Mobridge’s history.
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Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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