Winnebago Man Sentenced for Assault on a Federal Officer

United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Bryson Smith, age 33, of Winnebago, Nebraska, was sentenced on November 6, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for assault on a federal officer. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Smith to 24 months' imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Smith's release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.

In June 2023, Smith came into contact with law enforcement on the Winnebago Indian Reservation while heavily intoxicated. Smith resisted two officers' attempts to arrest and transport him for medical care by kicking, biting, and scratching at the officers. Smith also spit into the eye of one officer, requiring the officer to seek medical treatment.

This case was prosecuted in federal court because the victims were federal law enforcement officers engaged in the performance of their official duties on the Winnebago Indian Reservation in Nebraska at the time of Smith's assault.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services.