Federal prosecutors have charged a Takini man with assaulting two men, kidnapping one of them, and then pointing a rifle at a tribal officer and ramming a van into another officer's vehicle.

William Chantly LaClaire, 23, pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court to an indictment charging him with kidnapping, assault with a dangerous weapon and assaulting, resisting or impeding a federal officer with a dangerous weapon.

According to federal court documents, LaClaire is accused of assaulting two men by kicking them, then kidnapping one of the men to prevent him from seeking medical treatment or from contacting law enforcement. The indictment also charges LaClaire with pointing a rifle at a Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe police officer and then ramming a van into a tribal police vehicle.

Prosecutors say the incidents happened April 16 at Takini.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is life in prison and a $250,000 fine.

In other federal court news:

y Curtis Robert McGhee, 43, Lower Brule, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Charles Kornmann to 71 months in prison and three years of supervised release for assaulting a Lyman County man with a knife, causing a seven-inch laceration to the man's neck that required 24 staples to close. The assault happened Nov. 1, 2007. McGhee pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

y Jesse J. Eagle Elk Sr., also known as Chops Eagle Elk, 44, Rosebud, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier to three years in prison and five years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution to the Mission woman he sexually assaulted in December 2006. Eagle Elk was initially indicted for aggravated sexual abuse and later pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact. He received the maximum sentence under federal sentencing guidelines.

y Steven Red Elk, 29, Wanblee, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Andrew Bogue to three years of probation and ordered to pay a $500 fine after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, tribal police officers who searched Red Elk's home with a warrant on Jan. 4, 2007, found one pound, 12 ounces of marijuana in his possession.

y Colton Douville, 20, Parmelee, pleaded guilty to being a drug user in possession of a firearm. The charge relates to Douville's possession of a Tikka .300 Magnum caliber rifle on Nov. 4, 2007, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office. The maximum penalty is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Douville was released on bond pending sentencing July 11.

y Myron Night Shield, 23, St. Francis, pleaded guilty to a charge of escape, admitting that he failed to return to Community Alternatives of the Black Hills, where he was in custody, after attending a local church on Jan. 12. The maximum penalty is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing was set for Aug. 6.

y Beryle Dean Marrowbone, 30, Cherry Creek, pleaded not guilty to an eight-count indictment charging him with aggravated sexual abuse of a child, sexual abuse of a child, incest and sexual contact with a minor. Federal court documents show the incidents allegedly happened between 2003 and 2007 at Cherry Creek. According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, the maximum penalty upon conviction is life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Marrowbone remains in custody pending trial.

y Stephanie Vedilago, 30, Rapid City, pleaded not guilty to charges of theft or embezzlement in connection with health care and possession of controlled substances. According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Vedilago is accused of taking large amounts of Hydrocone from the Sioux San Hospital pharmacy and then selling the narcotics on the street. The incidents allegedly happened between January and March of this year. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Vedilago was released on bond pending trial.

Editor's note: The U.S. District Court generally prosecutes felonies committed on reservations, while tribal courts handle misdemeanor crimes. Felonies that happen off the reservation are prosecuted in state/circuit court and are reported separately in the Journal. Some drug and firearms cases are also prosecuted in federal court.