A Colorado defendant was ordered to spend five years behind bars following the April assault of a federal officer at a tribal gaming property.
Daniel Lehi, 44, of Towaoc, Colo., was given the sentence recently by U.S. District Court Judge Gordon P. Gallagher.
After Lehi’s release from prison, he will be placed on supervised release for three years, the judge additionally ordered.
Earlier, Lehi pled guilty to a single count of assaulting a federal officer. The unnamed officer works for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).
The incident took place at the Ute Mountain Casino Hotel on April 5. The suspect, later identified as Lehi, appeared intoxicated, and he “lunged at the officer and struck him in the face” during a confrontation, according to prosecutors.
“Lehi continued to fight until officers were able to subdue him,” prosecutors added. Security guards also assisted in apprehending Lehi.
Previously, Lehi had prior assaults of other law enforcement officers, prosecutors revealed. Those prior incidents were considered when the judge sentenced the defendant.
Gallagher is a former federal magistrate and Colorado county deputy district attorney. While in private practice, among his clients were the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.
Officer Called a ‘Victim’
“This attack on a federal officer simply doing his job is unacceptable. We fully support the officer who is a victim in this case and are steadfast in our commitment to pursuing justice in cases involving assaults on law enforcement officers,” FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek said in a statement released on Friday.
Such acts will not go unanswered, and we will work tirelessly to ensure accountability,” Michalek added.
Sentence Is Serious
Assault on a law enforcement officer is a serious offense, and this defendant received a serious sentence for his actions,” Matt Kirsch, Colorado Acting U.S. Attorney, added in the statement concerning the length of sentence.
“I want to acknowledge the BIA officer for deftly handling a challenging situation,” Kirsch continued.
The local office of the FBI and the BIA investigated the incident.
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