Belcourt Man Sentenced for Involuntary Manslaughter

U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of North Dakota
January 7, 2013

BISMARCK—U.S. Attorney Timothy Q. Purdon announced that on January 7, 2013, Koleman J. Gourneau, 30, of Belcourt, North Dakota, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel L. Hovland on a charge of involuntary manslaughter. Gourneau pleaded guilty to the charge on September 24, 2012.

Judge Hovland sentenced Gourneau to four years and nine months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Gourneau was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Vcitim’s Fund.

On October 12, 2011, Gourneau left Betty’s Bar, located west of Belcourt on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation, driving his Ford Bronco. At the time, Gourneau was under the influence of intoxicating liquor. Shortly after leaving the bar, Gourneau’s vehicle struck a person, causing significant injuries to her which resulted in her death.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs-Turtle Mountain Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the North Dakota Highway Patrol.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandi Sasse Russell prosecuted the case.