United States Attorney Susan Lehr has announced the sentencing of Danielle Cleary for felony child abuse. Cleary, 29, originally from Vermont but residing in Pender, Nebraska on the Omaha Nation Indian Reservation, received her sentence on December 19, 2024. The federal court in Omaha, Nebraska handed down a 33-month imprisonment term. Following her prison time, Cleary will undergo a one-year supervised release period.
The charges stem from an incident on January 11, 2023, when Cleary struck a three-year-old child with a large toy. The blow caused severe head trauma to the child who was subsequently airlifted from Pender to Children's Nebraska in Omaha for treatment of life-threatening injuries. The child recovered and was discharged after a month-long hospital stay. Initially denying involvement, Cleary later confessed to striking the child and pleaded guilty to negligent child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury.
Federal jurisdiction was applied due to the victim being Native American and the crime occurring on a Native American Reservation while Cleary is not Native American. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.