A Peever, South Dakota man has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for assaulting his spouse. Terry Wayne Sterling Heminger, 27, received a sentence of five years and ten months from U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann on June 16, 2025. In addition to the prison term, Heminger will undergo three years of supervised release and must pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Heminger’s conviction is related to an incident that occurred on December 23, 2022. During this event, he assaulted his spouse with a hammer, causing serious injuries that resulted in complete vision loss in one eye and significant loss in the other. The victim also required several metal plates due to the injuries sustained.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office under the Major Crimes Act, which requires certain violent crimes occurring in Indian Country to be tried in federal court. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribal Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb led the prosecution.
Following sentencing, Heminger was remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
