United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell has announced the sentencing of Viola Boneshirt, a resident of St. Francis, South Dakota, for assault with a dangerous weapon. U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte handed down the sentence on May 12, 2025.
Boneshirt, aged 21, received a four-year federal prison term followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The case against Boneshirt began with an indictment by a federal grand jury in April 2024. She entered a guilty plea on February 7, 2025.
The incident leading to her conviction occurred on September 11, 2023, within the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. According to reports, Boneshirt became angry while socializing with others at a residence in Parmelee, South Dakota. During an altercation with a juvenile present at the gathering, she used a sharp object to inflict a significant leg wound on the juvenile that required multiple stitches before fleeing the scene.
This prosecution was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office under the Major Crimes Act—a federal statute requiring certain violent crimes occurring in Indian Country to be prosecuted federally rather than at the state level.
The investigation was conducted by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson led the prosecution.
Following her sentencing, Boneshirt was placed into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.