Raul Tomas Mata, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, South Dakota 2023

State: South Dakota
Category: Violent Crime
Source: <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sd/pr/little-eagle-man-sentenced-assault-3" style="color:#cc0000;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DOJ Press Release ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬â€

A 22-year-old man from Little Eagle, South Dakota, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a violent assault that left a three-year-old girl seriously injured. Raul Tomas Mata was convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and sentenced by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann on June 5, 2023.

On April 29, 2022, Mata fired a rifle from a vehicle towards several houses in Little Eagle, a small community within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. One of the bullets struck a three-year-old child in the abdomen, causing her serious and life-threatening bodily injury.

Mata pleaded guilty to the charges on March 14, 2023, after being indicted by a federal grand jury in July of 2022. The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program aimed at reducing violent crime.

As part of his sentence, Mata was ordered to pay $5,150.31 in restitution and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. He will also serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison sentence.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, Standing Rock Agency, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Corson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.

Mata was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after the sentencing. The case serves as a reminder of the devastating consequences of gun violence and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable.

The investigation and prosecution of this case demonstrate the commitment of law enforcement agencies to keeping communities safe from violent crime.

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