Cass Lake Man Indicted for Kidnapping Girl

MINNEAPOLIS—A federal indictment unsealed late yesterday charges a 28-year-old Cass Lake man with kidnapping and assaulting a girl while on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. Robert Elliot Roybal, Jr., was charged with two counts of kidnapping and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in connection to the crime. The indictment, which was filed on August 7, 2012, was unsealed following Roybal’s initial appearance in federal court.

The indictment alleges that on June 26, 2010, Roybal kidanpped a girl who was under the age of 18. In addition, it alleges that Roybal assaulted the girl by kicking her.

If convicted, Roybal faces a potential maximum penalty of life in prison on each kidnapping count and 10 years for assault. All sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge. This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Red Lake Tribal Police Department, with assistance from the Leech Lake Tribal Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Clifford B. Wardlaw.

Because the Red Lake Indian Reservation is a federal-jurisdiction reservation, some of the crimes that occur there are investigated by the FBI in conjunction with the Red Lake Tribal Police Department. Those cases are prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.

Bullhead Man Indicted for Assault

U.S. Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Bullhead man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

Ansel White Eagle, Jr., age 37, was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 18, 2012. He appeared before U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann on August 2, 2012, and pled not guilty to the indictment. The maximum penalty on each count upon conviction is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine.

The charges stem from a fight that occurred on April 24, 2010, at Bullhead between the Little Eagle family and their supporters and the White Eagle family and their supporters. The charges are merely accusations, and White Eagle is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikal Hanson is prosecuting the case. White Eagle was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not yet been set.