A Red Lake man has been handed a five-year prison sentence for child neglect resulting in the death of a child on the Red Lake Reservation, as announced by U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger in a press release. Julius Fineday, Sr., 42, faced charges for his willful deprivation of necessary food, health care, and other life essentials to Minor A, which tragically led to the child's demise between January 1, 2022, and December 25, 2022.
During the sentencing, Chief Judge Patrick J. Schlitz pointed out the grievous extent of the neglect, which encompassed failing to provide sufficient nutrition, ignoring persistent head lice, withholding the child from school, and foregoing medical visits for three years for the child, apart from COVID vaccinations that the family received cash for, and tragically, Minor A was so malnourished that the child was described as "skeletal" at the time of death. The cause was eventually determined to be due to complications from malnutrition and an infection. In his decision, the judge recognized Fineday’s guilt plea without a plea agreement as a mitigating circumstance, which influenced the decision not to extend the sentence beyond five years.
Chief Judge Schlitz underscored the intention behind the sentencing was to serve as a stark reminder that child abuse or neglect would result in dire ramifications for both the child and the caretaker; harmoniously hoping the fear of such outcomes drives other caretakers to seek help rather than allow a child's needs to go unattended. Fineday’s co-defendant, Sharon Rosebear has been convicted of similar charges and is currently waiting for her sentencing following an April 2024 jury trial.
The investigation was a joint effort by the FBI and the Red Lake Tribal Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey E. Middlecamp and Rachel L. Kraker helming the prosecution.
