A federal judge has sentenced a 28 year old woman from Wakpala, South Dakota, convicted of Child Abuse.
Sheyenne Cadotte was sentenced to three years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Additionally, one of the conditions for supervised release prohibits Cadotte from living with children or contacting her own children unless approved in writing by her probation officer.
In 2021, Cadotte lived with her four-year-old daughter in Kenel, South Dakota, which lies within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. Cadotte’s daughter is a profoundly delayed non-verbal child who requires a feeding tube for sustenance. During the summer and fall of 2021, Cadotte starved her daughter, routinely skipping scheduled feedings and swapping whole milk for formula. Due to this neglect, the girl’s weight dropped from 34 pounds in May to 25 pounds in December, when she was removed from Cadotte’s care. The child is currently thriving in an institutional setting.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain serious crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs- Office of Justice Services and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
