District of Montana

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

KRISTA RAE LITTLE HEAD 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 August 13, 2008, before Senior U.S. District Judge Jack D. Shanstrom, KRISTA RAE LITTLE HEAD, a 23-year-old resident of Lame Deer, pled guilty to making false statements to federal officers, in CR 08-50-BLG-JDS, and to assault with a dangerous weapon, in CR 08-61-BLG-JDS. Sentencing is set for November 19, 2008. She is currently detained.

In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States in CR 08-50-BLG-JDS, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

On February 23, 2008, LITTLE HEAD reported to a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) police officer that she was raped by three males the previous night. She stated that the men held her down while she was raped and that one of the men struck her in the face during the rape. She identified the men and provided additional details about the rape. LITTLE HEAD made the same report to a doctor. Because of the nature of the offense reported by LITTLE HEAD, the three men that she identified were arrested and detained in tribal jail. The BIA criminal investigator contacted the FBI for assistance with the investigation.

During an interview with one of the men, the BIA and FBI agents were interrupted by an officer who stated that LITTLE HEAD wanted to know how to drop the charges because "it didn't happen." The agents then interviewed LITTLE HEAD again. During the interview, LITTLE HEAD admitted that she made up the allegation. The men were subsequently released from jail.

In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States in CR 08-61-BLG-JDS, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

On the night of March 15, 2008, the victim, LITTLE HEAD'S boyfriend, was drinking in Lame Deer with some friends. At some point during the evening, LITTLE HEAD and the victim returned to LITTLE HEAD'S home in Lame Deer where the two of them began to argue. LITTLE HEAD believed that the victim was involved in a relationship with an old girlfriend. The victim denied the allegation, but the argument continued and, at some point, LITTLE HEAD struck the victim in the face. The victim did not hit or strike LITTLE HEAD. The argument continued and, eventually, the victim told LITTLE HEAD that he wanted to end their relationship. LITTLE HEAD left the room, telling the victim that she was going to use the bathroom. LITTLE HEAD left the room and returned a few seconds later holding her left hand behind her back. She approached the victim and stabbed the victim four times in the chest with a large knife. After he was stabbed, the victim told LITTLE HEAD that he had to go to the hospital, but LITTLE HEAD would not let the victim leave. Eventually LITTLE HEAD told her brother to check on the victim, which he did. He helped the victim by dressing the stab wounds. The victim then left LITTLE HEAD'S house and went to his brother's house. The victim's brother and girlfriend put more bandages on the wounds and then contacted the ambulance. The victim was transported to the IHS clinic in Lame Deer for treatment of multiple penetrating stab wounds to his chest. He was then transferred from Lame Deer to Billings for further medical treatment.

When interviewed, LITTLE HEAD admitted that she had stabbed the victim in the chest. The knife was recovered. It was a kitchen knife approximately six inches long.

In CR 08-50-BLG-JDS, LITTLE HEAD faces possible penalties of 8 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years supervised release.

In CR 08-61-BLG-JDS, LITTLE HEAD faces possible penalties of 10 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 investigations were a cooperative effort between the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.