ST. FRANCIS, SOUTH DAKOTA – A local woman has been sentenced to prison for leaving her children to fend for themselves while she partied.
Leonna Lynn Poorman, 29, was sentenced to 5 months in custody, followed by 2 years of supervised release with 5 months of home confinement, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Poorman was convicted of Child Abuse after a federal grand jury indicted her on February 17, 2016. She pled guilty on August 16, 2016, after an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services.
According to court documents, Poorman brought her five children, all under age seven, to a home near St. Francis on February 6, 2015, where she began drinking alcohol. The children stayed in a back bedroom of the home, and no adult remained sober to help care for them.
In the early morning hours of February 8, 2015, Poorman discovered her three-month-old child deceased in the bed she was sharing with her. The Defendant had a blood alcohol content of .107% at approximately 10:00 A.M. that day.
The tragic incident raises questions about the safety of children in Poorman’s care. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie G. Sanderson prosecuted the case, which highlights the importance of responsible parenting and the consequences of neglecting one’s children.
U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced the sentencing, stating that Poorman’s actions had severe and devastating consequences for her children. Poorman was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service upon her sentencing.
Related Federal Cases
- Fritz Eagleshield III, Child Abuse, South Dakota · Alaska
- Lisa Lone Eagle, Kerosene Attack, South Dakota 2016 · South Dakota
- Justin Stone Arrow, Assault of a Minor, South Dakota 2016 · South Dakota
- Marlin Iron Crow, Second Degree Murder, South Dakota 2016 · South Dakota
- Matthew Harold Iron, Sr., Felony Child Abuse, Texas 2016 · Alaska
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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