Red Lake Man Sentenced for Involuntary Manslaughter

U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota
May 26, 2010

A 27-year-old Red Lake man was sentenced earlier today in federal court in Bemidji for killing a passenger in the vehicle he was driving while under the influence of alcohol. United States District Court Donovan W. Frank sentenced Donald Joseph Sumner, Jr., to 42 months in prison on one count of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the incident, which occurred on September 18, 2008.

Sumner was indicted on November 18, 2008, and pleaded guilty to the crime on December 15, 2009. In his plea agreement, Sumner admitted killing Daniel DeFoe, without malice, while recklessly driving on the Red Lake Indian Reservation.

The Red Lake Indian Reservation is a federal-jurisdiction reservation. As such, the federal government has primary law enforcement authority regarding felonies that occur there. This case, therefore, was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in conjunction with the Red Lake Tribal Police Department. Assistance was provided by the Minnesota State Patrol. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clifford B. Wardlaw.