MINNEAPOLIS – A 33-year-old Red Lake man has been indicted for endangering the health of a baby.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, a federal indictment was unsealed Wednesday, charging Chad Joseph Sumner with one count of child endangerment.The indictment was unsealed following Sumner’s initial appearance in court.
The indictment alleges that on Aug. 17, 2011, Sumner intentionally placed the child in a situation likely to be harmful. As a result, the infant suffered substantial physical harm, including head trauma and skull fractures, according to a press relesae from the Department of Justice.
If convicted, Sumner faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. All sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge.
The case is the result of an investigation by the Red Lake Tribal Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Deidre Y. Aanstad.
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.
