Red Lake man indicted in federal court on a charge of assaulting a woman
A 27-year-old Red Lake man has been indicted in federal court on a charge of assaulting and strangling a woman on the Red Lake Indian Reservation.
The indictment, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, charges Ervin Allen Iceman Jr. with one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
The indictment specifically alleges that on March 4, Iceman hit the woman several times, knocking out one of her teeth. As a result of the attack, the victim reportedly suffered severe swelling to the face. Both of her eyes were purportedly swollen shut. Iceman also allegedly strangled the woman, causing her to suffer hemorrhaging, a condition of strangulation, on her eyes and behind her ear.
According to a law enforcement affidavit filed in the case, the assault occurred after Iceman became upset with the victim for asking people to leave his residence. That affidavit states the request was made around 3 a.m.
If convicted, Iceman faces a potential maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. All sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge.
The federal government has primary law enforcement jurisdiction over the Red Lake Indian Reservation. As a result, all serious crime perpetrated there is investigated federally, with the assistance of tribal police, and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Red Lake Tribal Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tricia A. Tingle.
An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.
