District of South Dakota

U.S. Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Willard Paul Farrell, III, age 25, of Bullhead, appeared before U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann on January 2, 2013, and pled guilty to one count of an indictment that charged him with Domestic Assault by an Habitual Offender, resulting in substantial bodily injury. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both, and a period of supervised release of 3 years.

The conviction stems from an incident on January 15, 2011, when the victim was walking in McLaughlin. Farrell ran up to her, unprovoked, and assaulted her on a public street. Over the course of the assault, Farrell hit, shoved, and kneed the victim in the face, resulting in the victim receiving numerous scrapes and bruises, along with a fractured cheekbone. At the time of the incident, the victim had a restraining order in place preventing Farrell from having contact with, or harassing her.

Farrell has been found guilty on two or more separate prior occasions for offenses that would have been, if subject to federal jurisdiction, an assault against a spouse and intimate partner.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy Morley.

A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date was set for April 29, 2013. Farrell was remanded to the U.S. Marshal's Service pending sentencing.

US Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that the US Attorney’s Office in South Dakota collected over $6.3 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 from civil and criminal actions.  That amount reflects an increase of more than $2 million over FY 2011 collections.

Of the $6.3 million, over $5.8 million was recovered through criminal fines, restitution, and other assessments and penalties.  Civil recoveries accounted for the other $503,289. 

Nationwide, the U.S. Attorneys’ offices collected $13.1 billion in criminal and civil actions during FY 2012, more than doubling the $6.5 billion collected in FY 2011.   The $13.1 billion represents more than six times the appropriated budget of the combined 94 offices for FY 2012.

“These collections become increasingly important in these times of fiscal uncertainty,” said Johnson. “I am grateful to our dedicated team of professionals who work tirelessly in their efforts to recover money for victims of federal crime and to safeguard the American public’s money.”

The majority of the money collected by the US Attorney’s Office is returned directly to the United States Treasury.  However, restitution collected in criminal cases goes directly to compensate victims for their losses.  Criminal fines and felony assessments are paid into the Department of Justice’s Crime Victims’ Fund, which distributes the funds to state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.