(DURANGO, Colo.) — A man has been sentenced to 5 years in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) officer on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation in April 2024.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, the BIA officer responded on April 5, 2024 to a report of a drunk person at the Ute Mountain Ute Casino in Towaoc, within the boundaries of the reservation. The man, identified as 44-year-old Daniel Lehi of Towaoc, lunged at the responding officer and hit him in the face.

When additional security officers responded, Lehi continued to fight them until he was subdued. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said District Court Judge Gordon P. Gallagher sentenced Lehi after considering numerous sentencing factors, including Lehi’s history of assaults on law enforcement officers.

“Assault on a law enforcement officer is a serious offense, and this defendant received a serious sentence for his actions,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “I want to acknowledge the BIA officer for deftly handling a challenging situation.”

After release, Lehi will also undergo three years of supervised release.