Neopit Man Indicted for Assault Causing Serious Bodily Injury on Menominee Indian Reservation

A Neopit man faces federal charges after a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin returned an indictment alleging he assaulted a victim and caused serious bodily injury on the Menominee Indian Reservation.

The single-count indictment names the defendant and cites 18 U.S.C. § 113(a)(6), the federal statute that criminalizes assault resulting in serious bodily injury within Indian country. The charge applies because the Menominee Indian Reservation lies within the Eastern District of Wisconsin and falls under federal jurisdiction for major crimes committed against Native Americans on tribal land.

The indictment marks the formal charging stage. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 10 years in federal prison. Federal sentencing guidelines will apply, and the Bureau of Prisons would assume custody rather than state or tribal authorities.

Downstream, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin must now prepare the case for trial or negotiate a plea. The Menominee Tribal Police and the Bureau of Indian Affairs will likely serve as key witnesses. The case also activates federal victim-notification requirements under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act and may prompt the tribe to review security protocols at the specific location of the assault.

This indictment follows standard Department of Justice practice for serious assaults on reservations when tribal courts lack felony jurisdiction. The Eastern District of Wisconsin has brought similar charges in recent years involving incidents on both the Menominee and Oneida reservations.

The Menominee Indian Reservation spans roughly 354 square miles in northeastern Wisconsin and is home to approximately 8,500 enrolled tribal members.

The case remains pending. Arraignment has not yet been scheduled.