A Colorado man will serve five years in prison for assaulting a federal officer at the Ute Mountain Casino Hotel in April. Daniel Lehi, 44, of Towaoc, received the sentence from U.S. District Court Judge Gordon P. Gallagher.

The incident occurred on April 5 when an intoxicated Lehi lunged at and struck a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) officer in the face. Security guards helped subdue Lehi after he continued fighting with officers. The defendant, who has a history of assaulting law enforcement officers, pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting a federal officer.

Following his prison term, Lehi will serve three years of supervised release. FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek emphasized that attacks on federal officers "will not go unanswered," while Colorado Acting U.S. Attorney Matt Kirsch commended the BIA officer for handling the challenging situation.

The Ute Mountain Casino Hotel features over 700 slot machines, a sportsbook, and various table games including blackjack, roulette, Three Card Poker, and Ultimate Texas Hold'em. The FBI and BIA jointly investigated the case.

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