WAYLAND TWO MOONS PLEADS GUILTY IN U.S. FEDERAL COURT

Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Billings on May 2, 2007, before U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, WAYLAND TWO MOONS, a 34-year-old resident of the Busby area, pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Sentencing is set for August 8, 2007. He is currently detained.

In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

On December 31, 2006, the Federal Bureau of Investigation was notified that an individual had suffered a gun shot wound, and that he had been pronounced dead upon arrival at the Big Horn County Hospital in Hardin.

The individual who had driven the victim to the hospital advised law enforcement that the victim had been shot accidentally by TWO MOONS while TWO MOONS was attempting to place a hunting rifle back into a truck in which the victim was sitting. The shooting occurred behind the TWO MOONS' family home near the Crow/Northern Cheyenne reservation boundary.

Investigators located the scene of the shooting, which was within the boundaries of the Crow Indian Reservation. Through interviews of witnesses, law enforcement learned that TWO MOONS had been drinking heavily prior to the shooting.

When interviewed, TWO MOONS confirmed that he shot the victim while retrieving a hunting rifle from his truck in which the victim was seated. He also confirmed the location of the truck, and that he had been drinking prior to the shooting..

An autopsy performed on the victim confirmed that he died of a gunshot wound to the right buttock. The victim's right pelvic skeleton and surrounding soft tissues, which included the right common iliac artery and vein and their major branches, were severely damaged. There was significant blood loss associated with the injury.

TWO MOONS faces possible penalties of 6 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years supervised release.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Harper Suek prosecuted the case for the United States.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

A copy of the Offer of Proof can be obtained by contacting Sally Frank at (406) 247-4638.

United States Attorney's Office for the District of Montana

P.O. Box 1478
Billings, MT 59103

CONTACT

Kurt Alme
First Assistant U.S. Attorney
(406) 247-4669