Blair Has Horns, Assault on Correctional Officer, SD 2023

Blair Has Horns, a 35-year-old man from St. Francis, South Dakota, was sentenced for assaulting a federal officer after spitting on a correctional officer at the Rosebud Adult Correctional Facility. The crime occurred while Has Horns was already locked up on unrelated tribal charges, but his violent outburst crossed into federal jurisdiction, sealing his fate in U.S. District Court.

On November 22, 2016, U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange handed down the sentence: time served—exactly four months in custody—plus two years of supervised release with four months to be served under home confinement. Has Horns was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, a small price for defying federal authority.

The case traces back to January 5, 2016, when Has Horns, already an inmate, turned belligerent during a routine interaction with staff. Witnesses say he escalated quickly, refusing commands before launching a spit directly at a federal correctional officer. That act alone—though seemingly minor—constitutes a federal offense when directed at an officer carrying out official duties.

Indicted by a federal grand jury on March 15, 2016, Has Horns initially faced a harder road. But on August 30, 2016, he changed course and pled guilty to the charge of Assaulting, Resisting, Opposing, and Impeding a Federal Officer. The plea likely shaved time off what could’ve been a longer sentence, but the stain on his record is permanent.

Investigation was led by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, underscoring the complex jurisdictional web that often surrounds crimes on tribal land. The U.S. Attorney’s Office stepped in to prosecute, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie G. Sanderson handling the case for the federal government—a reminder that even within tribal facilities, federal law still bites hard.

Has Horns was released immediately following sentencing, transitioning straight into home confinement. The message from federal prosecutors is clear: disrespect a federal officer, even behind bars, and you’ll answer to the full weight of the law. In South Dakota’s lawless corners, no act of defiance goes unpunished.