Lawrence Village Center, Domestic Assault by a Habitual Offender, South Dakota 2014

A McLaughlin man was sentenced to 57 months of custody for domestic assault by a habitual offender, according to a recent court decision. Lawrence Village Center, also known as Larry Village Center, age 46, was handed down the sentence by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann on June 9, 2014, in a federal court.

The conviction stems from an incident on August 31, 2013, in McLaughlin, where Village Center was accused of assaulting an adult female with a hammer. According to the Fort Yates Police Department’s 911 call, Village Center was reported to have struck the victim several times about the head and body with a hammer.

After the assault, Village Center further escalated the situation by breaking out the windshield of the family van with the same hammer, leaving the victim shaken and battered. This was not an isolated incident, as Village Center has a history of domestic abuse, with two prior judgments of conviction for Domestic Abuse in Standing Rock Tribal Court.

The investigation into the crime was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Law Enforcement Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley was responsible for prosecuting the case.

Village Center’s guilty plea was made on January 17, 2014, following his indictment by a federal grand jury on November 14, 2013. He was found guilty of Domestic Assault by a Habitual Offender. As a result of his conviction, Village Center was ordered to pay $286 in restitution and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

The victim of the assault was reportedly left shaken and battered by the ordeal, and the community is still reeling from the news of Village Center’s sentence. The case serves as a reminder of the serious consequences of domestic violence and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable for their actions.

As per the court’s orders, Village Center was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his 57-month sentence. This sentence will be followed by 3 years of supervised release, a stark reminder of the severity of Village Center’s crime and the damage it has caused to the victim and their loved ones.

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