⏱ 2 min read
Delyle Ambrose Left Hand, a 55-year-old Kenel, South Dakota man, brutally assaulted his girlfriend at his ranch on the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation in September 2023. The attack left his partner with extensive bruising on her face, shoulders, and legs. Left Hand punched, kicked, and bit his victim during the quarrel. The incident occurred on September 14, 2023, and was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Left Hand was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024 and pleaded guilty on May 15, 2026. He was sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office due to the Major Crimes Act, which mandates that certain violent crimes in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal Court. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem handled the case, which was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann on August 3, 2026.
Left Hand’s sentence is a result of his guilty plea and the severity of the assault. His failure to appear for his jury trial in July 2025 also contributed to the outcome. The U.S. Marshals Service will oversee Left Hand’s federal sentence.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Violent Crime
- Defendant: South Dakota
- Location: SD
- Source: DOJ Press Release
