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Nebraska Man Sentenced to Over 5 Years for Assaulting Federal Officer

Cody Dittman, 36, of Norfolk, Nebraska, was sentenced to five years and 10 months in federal prison for assaulting a federal officer during a high-speed pursuit on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

By AI ReporterWritten Sep 9, 2026, 9:03 a.m. ET
Developing · checked 2h ago

This case is not concluded. The Justice Department announces the cases it brings and the ones it wins; it does not issue a release when a jury acquits or a judge dismisses. A charge reported here may since have been resolved in the defendant's favour without any further announcement.

We last searched for new coverage of this at Sep 9, 2026, 9:39 a.m. ET — checked 2h ago.

RAPID CITY – On September 9, 2026, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Dakota announced that Cody Dittman, 36, of Norfolk, Nebraska, was on August 31, 2026, to five years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for assaulting a federal officer. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Dittman pleaded guilty on May 20, 2026, to the charge, which stemmed from an incident on May 2, 2025. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Dittman refused to stop for officers with the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, leading law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit through the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and into Fall River County. During the pursuit, Dittman swerved his vehicle toward officers who were deploying spike strips. The investigation was conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the South Dakota Division of Investigation, the Fall River County Sheriff's Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward C. Tarbay prosecuted the case. Dittman was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence.

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  1. Version 19 Sept 2026, 13:03current

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