Suspect convicted of shooting dead Lame Deer boy

BILLINGS – One person was arrested Sunday in connection with the shooting last week of eight-year-old Marquez Amias Dion Deputy Ontiveros in Lame Deer on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, according to the FBI.

An FBI official said Monday that the suspect pleaded guilty “to the shooting” in tribal court, but did not specify the charges.

The suspect – whose name has not yet been released – was sentenced to pay a $23,000 fine and serve four years and nine months in prison. That is the maximum sentence allowed in tribal court, according to the FBI.

The FBI official did not know whether the suspect would also face federal charges, which could carry a much stiffer sentence.

MMIP invoices noted on Facebook: “Tribal governments have limited sentencing options, even in murder cases. It’s one of the many reasons we’re raising awareness for the Missing & Murderer Indigenous Peoples Movement. There is often minimal justice or no justice at all. Major crimes such as murders are under federal jurisdiction.”

Family and friends said the child was shot in a drive-by shooting on the west side of Lame Deer.

In response, the tribal leadership imposed a 9 p.m. curfew as the suspect was at large. The curfew remains in effect, according to a notice posted Monday by tribal officials.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family with funeral and funeral expenses; click here if you would like to donate.

We will keep you posted as we get more information.