A 41-year-old Lame Deer man has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for brutal assaults on women on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian reservations and for illegally possessing a sawed-off shotgun.
Theo Summers Buffalo Bulltail pleaded guilty in February to assault resulting in serious bodily injury, assault with a weapon, and assault resulting in substantial injury in one case. He also pleaded guilty in August 2023 to prohibited person in possession of a firearm in a separate case.
The assaults occurred in April and July 2022, and involved four women who were abused and tortured in separate incidents on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian reservations. In one assault, Buffalo Bulltail struck a victim with an axe and his hands, breaking her nose and foot, and tortured her for days in a residence in Lame Deer. Another victim was strangled and threatened to be killed, and was also forced to remove her clothes and was pushed out of a vehicle.
The government alleged in court documents that Buffalo Bulltail’s actions were brutal and terrorized the victims, causing them long-term physical and emotional trauma.
Buffalo Bulltail was also found to be in possession of a sawed-off shotgun, .40-caliber ammunition, drug baggies, and methamphetamine when he was pulled over by law enforcement near Billings on January 18, 2022. He was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to his five previous felony convictions.
U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said that Buffalo Bulltail’s sentence would help keep women and communities safe from his actions.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence.
Defendant: Theo Summers Buffalo Bulltail
Criminal Charges: Assault resulting in serious bodily injury, assault with a weapon, assault resulting in substantial injury, and prohibited person in possession of a firearm
City and State: Lame Deer, Montana
Exact Date: February (sentencing) and August 2023 (plea)
Sentence or Outcome: 21 years in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release
Key Facts
- State: Montana
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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