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 struck a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) officer in the face and continued fighting until security guards and officers subdued him. Lehi pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal officer.

Following his prison term, Lehi faces three years of supervised release. The judge considered Lehi's history of previous assaults on law enforcement officers when determining the sentence.

FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek emphasized that attacks on federal officers won't be tolerated, while Colorado Acting U.S. Attorney Matt Kirsch praised the BIA officer's handling of the situation.

The Ute Mountain Casino Hotel, where the incident occurred, 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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