A member of the Miccosukee tribe has been sentenced to nearly 17 years in federal prison for a shooting incident on the reservation. The sentence was handed down by a South Florida federal judge after Sutanga Rex Cypress, 43, shot and seriously injured an unarmed man during an argument.
The altercation between Cypress and the victim, who is also a member of the Miccosukee tribe, escalated when Cypress pulled out a Sig Sauer firearm and threatened to shoot. He fired the weapon, hitting the victim in the abdomen. The victim was airlifted to a hospital where he received medical treatment for permanent injuries. In September, Cypress pled guilty to charges including assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
United States District Judge Jacqueline Becerra imposed a $50,000 fine on Cypress along with his prison term. Additionally, he will serve five years of supervised release following his incarceration. A hearing is scheduled for May 6 to determine restitution payments Cypress must make to his victim.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge Justin E. Fleck of FBI Miami, and Chief Roland Pandolfi of the Miccosukee Police Department.
The case was investigated by FBI Miami’s Safe Trails Task Force and the Miccosukee Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Latoya Brown and Vanessa Bonhomme.
Further details can be accessed on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl. Related court documents are available on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida or through PACER under case number 24-cr-20195.