District of South Dakota
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Rosebud Man Convicted for Abusive Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Eugene Hollow Horn Bear, age 64, of Rosebud, South Dakota, of two counts of Abusive Sexual Contact following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on August 21, 2024.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of three years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hollow Horn Bear was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2024.
According to the evidence presented at trial, the victim awoke to Hollow Horn Bear touching her vagina and breasts after she had gone to sleep in an abandoned carwash in Mission, South Dakota, within the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. The victim called out for help and another individual pulled Hollow Horn Bear off the victim and forced him to leave the carwash.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.
The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. A sentencing date has not been set.
Three Colorado Men Sentenced to over 10 Years Each in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced three Colorado men convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance on August 12, 2024.
Sean Flynn, age 44, from Denver, Colorado, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Brian White III, age 49, from Broomfield, Colorado, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Marcelo Moreno, age 35, from Brighton, Colorado, was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Flynn, White, and Moreno were indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2023. Flynn pleaded guilty on May 17, 2024. White III and Moreno pleaded guilty on May 28, 2024.
These convictions stemmed from activities involving the large-scale distribution of cocaine in Rapid City, South Dakota. Flynn, who organized and coordinated drug sales and distribution between Denver and Rapid City, was the source of supply for Thomas Delong, who distributed the cocaine with others in Rapid City. Flynn’s primary source of supply was White, who obtained cocaine from Moreno for much of the conspiracy.
Co-defendant, Thomas Delong pleaded guilty in August of 2023 and received a sentence of 12 years and seven months in prison.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.
All three men were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following their respective sentencing.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on August 19, 2024.
Gregory Lamar Bell, age 55, was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Bell was indicted by a federal grand jury in July of 2023. He pleaded guilty on May 8, 2024.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on April 4, 2023, when Bell, who had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, possessed a Taurus G3 9mm handgun and 16 rounds of 9mm ammunition, which had been transported in interstate commerce. At the time he was in possession of the firearm, which was stolen, Bell was driving a stolen vehicle and was found in possession of small amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Bell was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Porcupine Man Sentenced for Domestic Abuse AssaultRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Porcupine, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing took place on August 12, 2024.
Tyrell White Crane-Kills Back, 24, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
White Crane-Kills Back was indicted for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to an Intimate Partner, and Assault on a Federal Officer by a federal grand jury in April of 2024. He pleaded guilty on May 30, 2024.
White Crane-Kills Back assaulted his intimate partner on March 17, 2024, by hitting her with a hammer and his fists in the face and the head.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
White Crane-Kills Back was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
McLaughlin Man Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man convicted of Simple Assault and Assault by Striking, Beating and Wounding.
Kenton Wynn Walks, age 39, was sentenced to one year and four months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $35.
Walks was indicted by a federal grand jury in July of 2022 and was found guilty on May 22, 2024, following a two-day jury trial.
This conviction arose from an assault that took place on April 22, 2022, in McLaughlin, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. The victim in this matter was laying on the ground, working on a vehicle, when Walks walked up to the victim and kicked him in the head. The victim suffered a laceration on the rear right side of his head, which produced a significant amount of blood and caused him to lose consciousness. The laceration was approximately three inches long and required six staples to be closed.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Walks was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following his sentencing.
Little Eagle Man Sentenced to over Four Years in Federal Prison for Assault of an Intimate Partner by Strangulation and SuffocationRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Little Eagle, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault of an Intimate Partner by Strangulation and Suffocation. The sentencing took place on August 19, 2024.
Lance Tomas Mata, age 41, was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Mata was indicted by a federal grand jury in January of 2023. He pleaded guilty on May 20, 2024.
During the night of November 21-22, 2022, at his home in Little Eagle, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation, Mata got high and intoxicated on methamphetamine and alcohol. Around 7:30 a.m., he woke up his live-in girlfriend and dragged her by the hair across the floor, then choked her for 30 seconds, telling her she would die “today” and that no one wanted her. After throwing her over a couch, Mata coerced her to kneel before him in a degrading manner and began assaulting her with his fists. Whenever the victim fell, Mata forced her to get back on her knees. If his girlfriend whimpered, Mata threatened to throw her down the stairs and chain her in the basement. This torture continued for two hours. When Mata finished, he told his girlfriend he would bury her with another woman, then fell asleep on the couch. The girlfriend fled the home and began walking the 37-mile trek through the snow to her mother’s home in Fort Yates, North Dakota, until she was picked up by a friend.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Mata was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service
Alcester Woman Sentenced for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced an Alcester, South Dakota, woman convicted of Wire Fraud. The sentencing took place on August 19, 2024.
Michelle Warner, age 57, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100; and restitution in the amount of $261,066.09 to Heartland Counseling Services.
Warner was indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2023. She pleaded guilty on March 20, 2024.
The conviction stemmed from incidents beginning on or about June 1, 2018, and continuing through May 17, 2022, when Warner, who was employed as a bookkeeper/accountant, and later as business administrator for Heartland Counseling Services, fraudulently paid herself unauthorized payroll payments and then used the funds for her own purposes. Additionally, Warner used her employer’s credit card without authority for her own personal use.
This case was investigated by the FBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Union County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Sioux City (NE) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.
Warner has been allowed to self-report to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service on September 16, 2024.
Justice Department Secures Agreement to Eliminate Voting Barriers for Native Americans in South DakotaRead the Press Release
The Justice Department has secured an agreement with Bennett County, South Dakota, and county officials to resolve claims that the county has failed to make its registration and early voting opportunities equally open to Native American voters as required by Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
Under the terms of the agreement, Bennett County will operate a satellite office in Allen, South Dakota, to provide in-person registration and absentee voting services during regular business hours for the full state-mandated 46-day absentee voting period prior to federal, state and county elections.
“It is time to eliminate all barriers standing between Native American voters and the ballot box across our country. An inclusive democracy must provide all of its eligible voters access to the full range of voter registration and early voting opportunities required by law,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “With this agreement, we will ensure that Native American voters will have the same access to registration and early voting as do other voters. The Justice Department will continue to challenge discriminatory election-related laws and policies and will vigorously enforce federal law to move us ever closer to a fully enfranchised Native electorate.”
“The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy, but that right is hollow without access to registration and early voting opportunities,” said U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell for the District of South Dakota. “We are grateful Bennett County has agreed to improve voting access for Native Americans in South Dakota by adding and staffing a satellite office in Allen.”
The Justice Department’s investigation found that Native Americans in Bennett County did not have equal access to the in-person registration and absentee voting available under state law. American Indians who live on Tribal lands disproportionally lack the ability to travel long distances to the county seat of Martin, South Dakota, for those in-person voting services. Since 2015, the state has made Help America Vote Act funds available to counties like Bennett to establish a satellite office on Tribal lands.
More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931. Individuals can also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota either by emailing [email protected] or by calling 605-330-4400.
Watauga Man Sentenced for Assault by Striking, Beating or WoundingRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Watauga, South Dakota man convicted of Assault by Striking, Beating or Wounding. The sentencing took place on August 15, 2024.
Justin James Schneider, age 39, was sentenced to time served, equal to one year in custody, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $25.
Schneider was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2023. A jury found him guilty of Assault by Striking, Beating or Wounding following trial on May 15, 2024.
On October 26, 2022, in McIntosh, South Dakota, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation, Schneider was taking out the trash when he saw another man. Schneider believed the other man had wronged him several months earlier. Schneider gestured for the man to join him in a neighbor’s yard. When they met, Schneider accused the man of misconduct, then punched him several times in the face. Schneider walked the man to his wife’s workplace, forced him to apologize for the alleged misdeed, and then punched him once more on the nose, breaking it.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the General Crimes Act, a federal statute, authorizes federal prosecution of certain crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country.
This case was investigated by the Corson County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Schneider remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service on separate charges.
Northern District of California Bankruptcy Court Extends Sexual Abuse Claims Bar Deadline in Bankruptcy filed by Franciscan Friars of California, IncRead the Press Release
On July 11, 2014, in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California (“Court”), Oakland Division, Case No. 23-41723 WJL, the Court entered an order extending the General Bar Date, as defined in the Bar Date Order, to August 30, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Time). Debtor was ordered by the Court to serve the U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota with a copy of the Notice Package, and Debtor’s counsel requested that we post the provided Sexual Abuse Claim Notice Package. Attached is the Notice Package received as well as the Court order. The US Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota is not involved in this matter. For additional information, the “Notice of Extended Bar Date Requiring Filings of Proofs of Claim” indicates, in part, that you may contact Donlin Recano & Company, Inc. at (888) 444-4055 or email inquiries to [email protected].
Order Extending The Claims Bar Date and Granting Related Relief
order_from_bk_ct_-_ndca.pdfPine Ridge Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Enticement of a Minor. The sentencing took place on August 12, 2024.
Rowland Coomes, age 37, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Coomes was indicted for the charge by a federal grand jury in February 2023. He pleaded guilty on May 30, 2024.
In February of 2022, a 14-year-old female reported that she had been provided methamphetamine and sexually assaulted by Coomes while on the Pine Ridge Reservation. During the report, the 14-year-old female disclosed that Coomes had also solicited her for nudes photographs, constituting child pornography, in exchange for transportation. The FBI applied for and received a search warrant to search Coomes’ Facebook account. Messages revealed that Coomes had in fact received images constituting child pornography. An analysis of Coomes’ Facebook account established that he was in an illegal sexual relationship with another victim – living on the Reservation. After Coomes’ arrest, he contacted a family member and urged the family member to delete his Facebook account in order to get rid of evidence establishing his guilt. The FBI, however, had already searched and seized his account at the time Coomes’ made the request to the family member.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Coomes was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Watauga Man Convicted by Federal Jury for Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm and Simple Assault on a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Justin James Schneider, age 39, of Watauga, South Dakota, was found guilty on August 8, 2024, of Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm and Simple Assault on a Federal Officer following a two-day federal jury trial in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The jury also found Schneider committed these offenses on pretrial release and that his revolver was subject to forfeiture.
The charge of Prohibited Person carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered. The charge of Simple Assault on a Federal Officer carries a maximum penalty of one year in federal prison and/or a $100,000 fine, one year of supervised release, and a $25 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered. Because Schneider committed these offenses on pretrial release, the Court may impose up to an additional 10 years in federal prison.
Schneider was indicted by a federal grand jury in July of 2023.
On June 20, 2023, the Corson County Sheriff’s Office received credible information that Schneider had discharged a revolver earlier that day and was armed and dangerous. The Corson County Sheriff requested and received assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services to detain and arrest Schneider. A BIA officer found Schneider in Bullhead, South Dakota, which lies within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. When the officer attempted to arrest him, Schneider fled in his pickup to a nearby pasture and engaged in an armed stand-off with Corson County deputies and BIA police officers. Schneider eventually hopped back into his pickup and fled to the Bullhead Community Center, striking a squad car enroute. Schneider then dismounted from his pickup, brandishing a revolver, gesturing wildly towards nearby civilians and disregarding repeated police commands to drop his gun. As Schneider moved quickly towards unarmed children, a police officer shot him to protect the public. Schneider was taken into custody without further incident.
Schneider has nine prior felony convictions, including convictions for Aggravated Assault, Assault Against a Law Enforcement Officer, Felony Driving Under the Influence, Possession of Methamphetamine, and Ingestion of Methamphetamine.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
This case was prosecuted by the federal government because Schneider is a dangerous felon prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law, federal law enforcement involvement in his arrest, and because the offense occurred within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Corson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation report was ordered and a sentencing date of November 4, 2024, was set. Schneider remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Two Rapid City Women Sentenced to 20 Years Each in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced two Rapid City, South Dakota, women convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death.
Christina Sanchez, age 25, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Katey McGruder, age 35, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Christina Sanchez and Katey McGruder were indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2023. Sanchez pleaded guilty on May 13, 2024. McGruder pleaded guilty on May 3, 2024. Both women were sentenced on August 9, 2024.
These convictions arose from a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl operating in Rapid City. McGruder and her husband, Curtis Cummings, obtained large amounts of fentanyl from a source in Colorado. They would bring the fentanyl back to Rapid City, where it was further distributed by Sanchez and others. On April 26, 2022, McGruder and Cummings provided the fentanyl to Sanchez, who provided the fentanyl to Wyatt Nygaard. Nygaard then provided the fentanyl to the victim who overdosed and died in the parking lot of a convenience store within minutes of obtaining the fentanyl.
Nygaard was previously sentenced to 23 years and three months in federal prison. Cummings is set for trial on November 5, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET). UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan Dilges and Edward Tarbay prosecuted the case.
Sanchez and McGruder were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following their respective sentencing.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the InternetRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet. The sentencing took place on August 12, 2024.
Southy Thepmontry, age 69, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Thepmontry also forfeited the cell phone used to commit the crime and must register as a sex offender once he is released from federal prison.
Thepmontry was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2024. He pleaded guilty on May 22, 2024.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on March 21, 2024, when Thepmontry used his cell phone to attempt to coerce an undercover agent posing as a 15-year-old female to engage in sexual activity. His conversation occurred on Facebook over the course of ten days. Thepmontry offered to pay the 15-year-old girl money in exchange for sex and was arrested at the meeting location where he possessed his cell phone and cash he withdrew from an ATM on his way.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by HSI and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Thepmontry was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rosebud Man Sentenced for Several Counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Abusive Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Rosebud, South Dakota, man convicted of three counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor and two counts of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on August 9, 2024.
Shane Mousseaux, age 37, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $500.
Mousseaux was indicted by a federal grand jury in November of 2022. Mousseaux was convicted at trial on April 18, 2024.
The conviction stemmed from incidents between August 6, 2020, and June 21, 2022, when Mousseaux, who lived on the Yankton Sioux Reservation with his then-girlfriend and her children, engaged in multiple sexual acts with one of his then-girlfriend’s daughters, who was 14-15 years old at the time. Between May 1, 2022, and June 21, 2022, Mousseaux engaged in sexual contact with another one of his then-girlfriend’s daughters, who was 14 years old at the time.
This matter is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Yankton Sioux Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann M. Hoffman and Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.
Mousseaux was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on August 8, 2024.
Christian Lorenzo Witt, age 31, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Witt was indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2023 for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. He pleaded guilty on May 8, 2024.
On March 18, 2023, Rapid City police officers were involved in a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Witt. Officers learned Witt had an active warrant and he was arrested. Officers recovered a loaded Glock pistol along with a 30-round magazine under the driver seat of the vehicle that belonged to Witt. Witt is prohibited from possession of a firearm as a result of several felony convictions. As part of his sentence, Witt forfeited the Glock firearm and ammunition.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson prosecuted the case.
Witt was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Couple Sentenced to over 37 Years in Federal Prison for Murder, Failing to Report Murder, and Illegal Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Second-Degree Murder and Discharge of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence. The sentencing took place on August 1, 2024.
Jerel Running Bear, age 34, was convicted of Second-Degree Murder, and was sentenced to 27 years and three months in federal prison consecutive to 10 years in federal prison for Discharging a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence. Running Bear was also ordered to complete five years of supervised release on each charge with the time to be run concurrently. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for each charge.
On August 9, 2024, U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier sentenced an Oglala, South Dakota, woman for her role in failing to report the murder of the 21-year-old female victim to law enforcement. Serena Fast Horse, age 39, was convicted of Misprision of a Felony and was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison, followed by one-year supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Running Bear and Fast Horse were indicted for the charges by a federal grand jury in November of 2023. Running Bear pleaded guilty on April 5, 2024, and Fast Horse pleaded guilty on May 10, 2024.
On the evening of November 8, 2023, Running Bear and two other individuals, including the 21-year-old female victim, went to Wounded Knee to obtain fentanyl pills from a source. When the source did not show up, Running Bear, who was under the influence of controlled substances, grabbed a rifle from the trunk of the vehicle and shot the female who was seated in the backseat. The other female took off running and alerted law enforcement. Running Bear then picked up Fast Horse, his girlfriend at the time. Running Bear removed the victim from the vehicle and left her on the side of the road, while Fast Horse watched. The next day, the two fled to Nebraska after being spotted by law enforcement. Fast Horse threw out items from the vehicle, including controlled substances. The two were eventually apprehended. After Running Bear was placed into custody, Fast Horse did not tell law enforcement about watching Running Bear dispose of the victim’s body on the side of the road.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Running Bear was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and Fast Horse was ordered to self-surrender on August 30, 2024.
Seven Men Arrested in Multi-Agency Sex Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Ellsworth AFB Office of Special Investigations, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department conducted a joint sex-trafficking operation during the 2024 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally designed to apprehend persons attempting to arrange sexual encounters with underage children. The operation began on August 2, 2024, and continued through August 8, 2024.
As a result, the following seven men were arrested and charged:
Brockton Dominquez, 26, Rapid City – Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
Eli Poorman, 20, Rapid City – Attempted Commercial Sex Trafficking of a Minor
Dustin Day, 20, Piedmont – Attempted Commercial Sex Trafficking of a Minor
Vance Coats, 25, Box Elder – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
Brandon Bishop, 36, Rapid City – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
Corey Simon, 36, Rapid City – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
Aaron Ray Williams, Jr., 23, Rapid City – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
“Once again, this operation demonstrates the sad reality that there are individuals in our communities who are using the Internet to target young girls for sex,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “We are grateful to our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, who regularly collaborate to safeguard children across South Dakota. Because of their work, the Rapid City community is a little safer this week.”
The mandatory minimum penalty upon conviction for Attempted Commercial Sex Trafficking of a Minor under the age of fourteen is 15 years up to 30 years in federal prison; and any term of years, not less than five, up to lifetime supervised release.
The mandatory minimum penalty upon conviction for Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet is 10 years up to life in federal prison; and any term of years, not less than five, up to lifetime supervised release.
The charges are merely accusations, and all seven defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The cases are being federally prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox.
2024 Indian Country Conference: Offering Hope to Victims in the Spirit of JusticeRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - Alison J. Ramsdell, United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota, and Mac Schneider, United States Attorney for the District of North Dakota, announced today that their offices hosted the 2024 Indian Country Conference: Offering Hope to Victims in the Spirit of Justice, on August 6-7, 2024, in Pierre, South Dakota.
U.S. Attorney Ramsdell and U.S. Attorney Schneider provided opening remarks during the conference, highlighting the important work done each and every day to secure justice for victims in Indian country. “Victims of crime are at the center of our prosecutions at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Dakota,” said U.S. Attorney Ramsdell, “and victim services providers are at the very heart of that critical work. We are fortunate to have skilled victim service professionals working alongside our prosecutors to vindicate the rights of victims and help them reclaim their voices.”
“Whether it’s our prosecutors, law enforcement partners, or victim service professionals, the Districts of North Dakota and South Dakota are united when it comes to pursuing justice for victims of crime,” Schneider said. “This is especially true as we work together to benefit public safety in Indian country. Inside and outside the courtroom, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to obtaining just results and bringing a victim-centered approach to our work.”
The conference featured speakers on a variety of topics. For example, Leslie Hagen, National Indian Country Training Initiative Coordinator at the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina, provided expert training on the Investigation and Prosecution of Non-Fatal Strangulation Cases, as well as the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse in Indian Country. Other speakers provided educational presentations on Sex Trafficking in Indian Country; Fentanyl Overdose Awareness; Healing Trauma with Somatic Approaches; Missing and Murdered Indigenous People; and Successful Team Coordination in Indian Country.
Conference participants included law enforcement officers, victim service providers, prosecutors, social workers, physicians and other medical professionals, mental health therapists, counselors, educators, court service officers, corrections officers, childcare providers, community leaders, and other concerned individuals from the two-state region of North Dakota and South Dakota—especially those dealing with family violence issues in tribal communities. Conference attendees were provided new tools and resources to continue their commitment to securing justice for victims of crime.
Virginia Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Enticement of a Minor Using the InternetRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced an Aldie, Virginia, man for Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet. The sentencing took place on August 2, 2024.
Tyler Grimes, 26, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Grimes will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
A federal grand jury indicted Grimes in June of 2023. He pleaded guilty on April 3, 2024.
Grimes used the internet-based application Omegle and his cellular phone to entice a minor to engage in sexually explicit activity. The minor was born in February of 2014, making her seven years old at all relevant times. During his communications with the minor, who lived in Rapid City, South Dakota, he repeatedly asked her for nude photos and videos of herself. She complied. After Grimes’ communications were discovered by the minor’s father, the minor was forensically interviewed. Many images and videos of child pornography between Grimes and the victim were located on the victim’s iPad.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
Grimes was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
South Dakota Man Found Guilty of Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Lance Quintin Longie, age 40, of South Dakota of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender following a one-day jury trial in federal district court in Aberdeen. The verdict was returned on August 5, 2024.
The charges carry a penalty of a maximum of 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Longie was initially indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2024.
Longie is required to register a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act because he was convicted of Criminal Sexual Conduct in the First Degree in 2004 in the District Court of Minnesota, Clay County. In the summer of 2022, Longie was residing in Moorhead, Minnesota, and last registered with the Moorhead Police Department on June 29, 2022. Later that summer, Longie travelled to South Dakota and took up residence in New Effington. Longie remained at the New Effington address and did not update the sex offender registry in South Dakota until he was arrested at the residence by officers with the Roberts County Sheriff’s Office on March 22, 2024.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Beau J. Blouin and Connie Larson prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered. A sentencing date has not been set. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Minnesota Man Sentenced to over 19 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced an Elmore, Minnesota, man convicted of Attempted Production of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on August 8, 2024.
Mason Mensing, age 23, was sentenced to 19 years and five months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Upon his release, Mensing must register as a sex offender.
Mensing was indicted by a federal grand jury in November of 2022. He pleaded guilty on May 21, 2024.
The conviction stemmed from incidents between August 17, 2022, and August 19, 2022, when Mensing pretended to be a high schooler in Minnesota and attempted to persuade a minor female in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to send him nude images of herself. The minor female refused and told her parents, who then went to the police. After an undercover agent took over the minor’s Snapchat account, Mensing had several sexual conversations with the undercover agent. An examination of Mensing’s Snapchat account revealed that he had requested nude photos from multiple teenage girls in South Dakota and Minnesota.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Brookings Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Mensing was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Watertown Man Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Heath Kelvin Hagen, age 37, of Watertown, South Dakota of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Aberdeen. The verdict was returned on August 1, 2024.
The charges carry a penalty of a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in custody and/or a $10,000,000 fine, a mandatory minimum of five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hagen was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2023.
Hagen was part of a group of people who trafficked thousands of pills in the Northeastern part of South Dakota. Hagen obtained the pills from Minneapolis and redistributed them to others primarily in Watertown and Sisseton. Witnesses identified Hagen as the biggest fentanyl dealer in Watertown for a period of time in early 2022.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for October 21, 2024. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Two Sentenced for Shooting Death of MinorRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Manderson, South Dakota, man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter, and a Rapid City, South Dakota, woman convicted of Misprision of a Felony. The sentencings took place on August 2, 2024.
Tyson White Plume, 29, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Sarah Stone, 44, was sentenced to time served, followed by one year of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
In February of 2022, a federal grand jury indicted White Plume for Second Degree Murder and Stone for Accessory After the Fact to Second Degree Murder. White Plume pleaded guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter and Stone pleaded guilty to Misprision of a Felony. The change of plea hearings took place on May 3, 2024.
The convictions arose out of the shooting death of White Plume’s seventeen-year-old girlfriend on February 5, 2022. White Plume admitted pointing a pistol at the minor’s face and pulling the trigger, after removing the magazine but failing to ensure the firearm did not have a bullet in the chamber. The shooting occurred in Stone’s residence near Rockyford, South Dakota, in the Pine Ridge Reservation. Stone knew the minor had been killed in her home, but concealed and lied about what she knew when she was questioned by law enforcement officers.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
White Plume was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Robert A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, woman convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on August 1, 2024.
Lucy Medicine Eagle, age 33, was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Medicine Eagle was indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2022. She pleaded guilty on April 26, 2024.
On March 28, 2022, Medicine Eagle was at a residence in St. Francis, in the Rosebud Reservation, drinking alcohol with family members and had a verbal argument with her adult brother. She thought her brother had stolen and pawned her Xbox gaming console, but it was actually simply misplaced and sitting behind a couch on the premises. Not knowing this, Medicine Eagle struck and punched her brother in the face and head numerous times. He told her to stop, but she did not stop and he put his arms up in a defensive position as she continued to strike him. She stopped striking him when other household members intervened. By that time, the brother had suffered severe head injuries and was soon unresponsive. He was transported to Monument Health in Rapid City where he was kept alive on life support machines. He died on April 1, 2022 and his cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma injuries to the head.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Maher prosecuted the case.
Medicine Eagle was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal to serve her sentence.
Pine Ridge Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Accessory after the Fact. The sentencing took place on August 1, 2024.
Charles Brings Plenty, age 32, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $1,938.48 in restitution and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Brings Plenty was indicted for the charges of Second-Degree Murder and False Statement by a federal grand jury in August of 2023. He pleaded guilty to Accessory after the Fact on April 3, 2024.
Brings Plenty and his juvenile codefendant picked up the victim from the East Ridge housing area in Pine Ridge on the evening of April 21, 2023. Brings Plenty and the juvenile defendant went to a fairly isolated area near the Old Sundance Grounds in Pine Ridge. Brings Plenty and the juvenile codefendant were intoxicated. On the way to the Old Sundance Grounds, the death of a relative that Brings Plenty and the juvenile codefendant shared was brought up. Brings Plenty got out of the car and began to question the victim. The juvenile codefendant used the vehicle to assault the victim and then assaulted him with a black baseball bat. Brings Plenty assisted the juvenile codefendant and then left the victim. The victim was reported missing by his family approximately two-weeks later. In July of 2023, the skeletal remains of a human were found north of the Old Sundance Grounds. DNA testing revealed that the remains were that of the victim.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Brings Plenty was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Manderson Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Manderson, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Anthony Tibbitts, age 40, was sentenced on August 2, 2024, to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Tibbitts was indicted by a federal grand jury in the summer of 2023, and pleaded guilty on April 19, 2024.
Tibbitts’ conviction stemmed from his involvement in a large-scale methamphetamine distribution operation in Rapid City, South Dakota, and on the Pine Ridge Reservation. During this conspiracy, Richard Glover and his significant other, Teresa Goodroad, were the source of supply for Mark Bond and Todd Pape in South Dakota. Bond and Pape would make trips to Colorado to pick up pounds of methamphetamine from Goodroad and Glover. Other times Goodroad and Glover would deliver the drugs to Bond and Pape in South Dakota. Once the drugs were in South Dakota they would be brought to various homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation, including Tibbitts’, where they would be further distributed by multiple individuals, including Tibbitts, Marlena Pond, Chris Janis, Tessie LaForge, Tyler LaForge, and others. All told, between 15 and 45 kilograms of methamphetamine was distributed during the course of this criminal enterprise.
Glover, Goodroad, Bond, Pape, Pond, Janis, and Tessie LaForge were sentenced earlier this summer. Glover received a sentence of 17 years and six months in prison; Goodroad received a sentence of 17 years and six months in prison; Bond received a sentence of 26 years and eight months in prison; Pape received a sentence of 25 years in prison; Pond received a sentence of six years in prison; Janis received a sentence of six years in prison; and Tessie LaForge received a sentence of two years and six months in prison. Tyler LaForge is set for sentencing later this summer.
This case was investigated by the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, which is comprised of agents from the FBI, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, Martin Police Department, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan N. Dilges and Edward Tarbay prosecuted the case.
Tibbitts was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following his sentencing.
Kyle Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Kyle, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor. The sentencing took place on August 1, 2024.
Rudolfo Ceron III, 26, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Ceron will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Ceron was indicted for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor by a federal grand jury in October of 2023. He pleaded guilty on April 5, 2024.
The conviction stems from Ceron, who was 25 years old at the time of the assault, raping a 13-year-old girl. In sentencing Ceron to 14 years in prison, Chief Judge Lange noted a need to protect the public and provide both punishment and deterrence.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Ceron was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Iowa Woman Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux City, Iowa, woman convicted of Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute. The sentencing took place on July 29, 2024.
Sara Raquel Torres, age 38, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Torres was indicted by a federal grand jury in April of 2023. She pleaded guilty on May 15, 2024.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on March 11, 2023, when Torres began communicating with someone who Torres thought was interested in buying methamphetamine from her, but turned out to be an undercover law enforcement agent. Torres set up a deal to sell one to two pounds of methamphetamine to the undercover agent. On her way to make the deal, Torres was stopped by the South Dakota Highway Patrol who, after searching her vehicle, found approximately 943 grams of methamphetamine and a handgun. Methamphetamine is a Schedule II controlled substance.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Torres was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Vale Woman Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Vale, South Dakota, woman convicted of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. The sentencing took place on July 25, 2024.
Leslie Marie White, 26, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised released, and order to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $29,424.20 in restitution. White will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
White was indicted for Production of Child Pornography by a Parent by a federal grand jury in January of 2023. She pleaded guilty on May 1, 2024.
On December 13, 2022, the FBI received a tip that a married couple was producing child pornography using their minor daughter. The pornographic images were located by an overseas partner on the social media platform “Wickr.” Through the investigation it was determined that White and her husband were trading images and videos containing child pornography involving their daughter to other individuals using Wickr.
On December 19, 2022, law enforcement seized 33 devices, from White’s home in Vale. A forensic examiner with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force reviewed the devices and determined that there was child pornography on 12 of the 33 devices, including 169 videos, 443 images, and eight live videos of child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Timothy White was sentenced on February 5, 2024, to 45 years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the FBI, and the Butte County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
White was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Ridgeview Man Sentenced for Assault ChargesRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Ridgeview, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assaulting, Resisting and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on July 29, 2024.
Arthur Butcher, 37, was sentenced to seven and a half years in federal prison on each count, to run concurrently, followed by three years of supervised release on each count, to run concurrently, $2,860 in restitution, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Arthur Butcher was indicted by a federal grand jury in July of 2023. He pleaded guilty on May 6, 2024.
The convictions stem from Butcher assaulting his ex-wife and a Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services officer on May 29, 2023. The officer responded to a residence on the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation following a report of an assault occurring inside the home. The officer found Butcher in a bedroom lying on top of his ex-wife with a knife in his hand. After the officer told Butcher to get off the woman, Butcher kicked a taser out of the officer’s hand and charged at him with the knife. Butcher stabbed the officer in an area of his chest protected by body armor and pushed the officer onto a couch, where the officer kicked Butcher back and fired three shots at Butcher, who was struck and then dropped the knife. Medical aid was provided to Butcher, and he survived. Prior to the officer’s arrival, Butcher had strangled his ex-wife, hit and kicked her multiple times, dragged her around the residence by her hair, threatened her life, and cut her with a knife. Butcher caused multiple injuries to his ex-wife, including extensive bruising on her face and body, severe bruising around her neck, and lacerations to her forehead and neck.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.
Butcher was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Florida Man Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Fort Welton, Florida, man convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on July 25, 2024.
Giles Frederick Hulsmann, 38, was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hulsmann was indicted for Involuntary Manslaughter by a federal grand jury in June of 2023. He pleaded guilty on May 3, 2024.
On November 24, 2022, Hulsmann found himself lost and near Pine Ridge, South Dakota, significantly off route from his destination. Rather than pulling over and orienting himself with the area, Hulsmann flew into a rage and drove approximately 80 MPH in a 45 MPH zone when he struck a motorcyclist. An accident reconstructionist determined that Hulsmann did not utilize his brakes or swerve before hitting the motorcyclist head on.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Hulsmann was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sturgis Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier sentenced a Sturgis, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on July 25, 2024.
Jeffery Dean Sipe, 31, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Sipe will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
In November of 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Sipe for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet, and Receipt of Child Pornography. He pleaded guilty on May 3, 2024.
In May of 2022, a local minor reported that Sipe had solicited images of child pornography from her and had forcibly raped her when she was between the ages of 15 to 17. Law enforcement found sexually explicit messages from Sipe in his Snapchat account which directed the victim to pose in certain ways and send him sexually explicit images of her. Multiple sexually explicit images of the minor were located on Sipe’s electronic devices.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
Sipe was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
South Dakota, Wyoming, and Colorado Men Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced three men convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Chris Janis, a/k/a “Izzy” Janis, age 50, of Manderson, South Dakota, was sentenced on July 25, 2024, to six years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Dalton Fiala, age 24, of Buffalo, Wyoming, was sentenced on July 26, 2024, to four years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Richard Glover, age 43, of Denver, Colorado, was sentenced on July 26, 2024, to 17 years and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Janis was indicted by a federal grand jury in the summer of 2023, and pleaded guilty on March 15, 2024. Glover and Fiala were indicated by a federal grand jury in the fall of 2023 and pleaded guilty on April 26, 2024.
These convictions stemmed from activities involving the large-scale distribution of methamphetamine in Rapid City, South Dakota, and on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Glover and his significant other, Teresa Goodroad, were the source of supply for Mark Bond and Todd Pape in South Dakota. During the course of the conspiracy, Bond and Pape would make trips to Colorado to pick up pounds of methamphetamine from Goodroad and Glover. Other times Goodroad and Glover would deliver the drugs to Bond and Pape in South Dakota. Once the drugs were in South Dakota it would be further distributed by multiple individuals, including Janis and Fiala. Between 15 and 45 kilograms of methamphetamine was distributed during the course of this criminal enterprise.
Goodroad, Bond, and Pape were sentenced earlier this summer. Goodroad received a sentence of 17 years and six months in prison; Bond received a sentence of 26 years and eight months in prison; and Pape received a sentence of 25 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, which is comprised of agents from the FBI, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, Martin Police Department, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan N. Dilges and Edward Tarbay prosecuted the case.
All three men were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following their respective sentencings.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on July 25, 2024.
Tell Logan Cadotte, 33, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $12,000 in restitution. Cadotte will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
In July of 2021, Cadotte was indicted by a federal grand jury for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Receipt of Child Pornography, and Possession of Child Pornography. On May 3, 2024, he pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography.
For several years, Cadotte sexually abused a female minor he was asked to babysit. Cadotte recorded the sexual abuse using his cellular phone. When law enforcement executed a search warrant on Cadotte’s residence in February of 2021, they located images and videos of the minor female being sexually abused by Cadotte. He also possessed hundreds of sexually explicit depictions of other minors, some of whom were identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
Cadotte was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on July 26, 2024.
Marvin Brings Plenty, age 34, was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Brings Plenty was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in December of 2023. He pleaded guilty on April 24, 2024.
In October of 2023, at Rapid City, Brings Plenty, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, was found to be in possession of a Tisa-Trabzon, Luger caliber, 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber, semi-automatic pistol after a search warrant was executed at his home. Brings Plenty was also a user of methamphetamine and fentanyl during the time he possessed the firearms. The investigation began when law enforcement learned Brings Plenty was distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl from his residence. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at his home where drugs, distribution material, and the two firearms were recovered.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Brings Plenty was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on July 26, 2024.
Darian Libert, age 26, was sentenced to one year and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Libert was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in February of 2024. He pleaded guilty on May 1, 2024.
In July of 2023, at Rapid City, Libert, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, was found to be in possession of Sturm, Ruger & Company .380 AUTO caliber semi-automatic pistol. The investigation began when Libert was driving a four-wheeler on Deadwood Avenue and was involved in an accident. Libert fled the scene but was later located by law enforcement officers and was found in possession of the firearm in his pocket.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Libert was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
California Man Sentenced on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Healdsburg, California, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on July 26, 2024.
Steve Tucker, 48, was sentenced to three years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by three of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Tucker was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in August of 2023. He pleaded guilty on April 26, 2024.
Tucker, who is a felon and thus prohibited from possessing firearms, was arrested in Rapid City, South Dakota, in March of 2023 with a Jimenez Arms brand .22 caliber semi-automatic handgun. When Tucker was found with the firearm, he gave a false name to law enforcement and had multiple pending arrest warrants.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Custer County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Tucker was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
California Man Sentenced on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Healdsburg, California, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on July 26, 2024.
Steve Tucker, 48, was sentenced to three years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by three of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Tucker was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in August of 2023. He pleaded guilty on April 26, 2024.
Tucker, who is a felon and thus prohibited from possessing firearms, was arrested in Rapid City, South Dakota, in March of 2023 with a Jimenez Arms brand .22 caliber semi-automatic handgun. When Tucker was found with the firearm, he gave a false name to law enforcement and had multiple pending arrest warrants.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Custer County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Tucker was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sisseton Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement and Theft from an Indian Tribal OrganizationRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Amanda Joy Quinn, age 42, of Sisseton, South Dakota, appeared before U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann on June 24, 2024, and pleaded guilty to an Indictment that charged her with Embezzlement and Theft from an Indian Tribal Organization.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is five years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
From about June of 2017 through July of 2020, Ms. Quinn, who had been elected Treasurer of the Long Hollow District (“the District”) of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Sioux Tribe, embezzled approximately $107,295. While working in the capacity of Treasurer, Ms. Quinn processed checks from the District’s bank account, she then authorized checks from that bank account for overpayments to herself and others. She negotiated the checks in her name and kept the cash. At her change of plea hearing, Ms. Quinn admitted to the scheme; she acknowledged that she was not entitled to that money and that her receipt of it was unlawful.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for September 16, 2024. The defendant remains on pretrial release pending sentencing.
This case was brought pursuant to the Guardians Project, a federal law enforcement initiative to coordinate efforts between participating agencies, to promote citizen disclosure of public corruption, fraud, and embezzlement involving federal program funds, contracts, and grants, and to hold accountable those who are responsible for adversely affecting those living in South Dakota’s Indian country communities. The Guardians Project is another step of federal law enforcement’s on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination, and positive action on behalf of tribal communities. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the participating agencies include: the FBI; the Offices of Inspector General for the Departments of Interior, Health and Human Services, Social Security Administration, Agriculture, Transportation, Education, Justice, and Housing and Urban Development; IRS Criminal Investigation; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.
For additional information about the Guardians Project, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (605) 330-4400. To report a suspected crime, please contact law enforcement at the federal agency’s locally listed telephone number.
Rosebud Man Sentenced for Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Rosebud, South Dakota, man convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on July 22, 2024.
Jiles Whipple, age 20, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Whipple was further ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $17,173. Additional restitution may apply.
Whipple was indicted by a federal grand jury in February of 2023. He pleaded guilty on March 18, 2024.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on May 28, 2022, in Rosebud, South Dakota, within the boundaries of the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On that date, Whipple was drinking alcoholic beverages and smoking marijuana at his residence in Rosebud. He subsequently departed the residence in a vehicle that he knew had faulty brakes. As he was driving, Whipple ran a stop sign at a three-way intersection and struck a passing pickup truck. A five-year-old child was riding in the bed of the pickup truck and suffered fatal injuries as a result of the wreck.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Whipple was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rosebud Man Sentenced for Assault on Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Robert A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Rosebud, South Dakota man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on July 22, 2024.
Robert Kills Plenty, age 27, was sentenced to six months in federal prison, followed by six months of home confinement, and 30 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Kills Plenty was indicted by a federal grand jury in February of 2023. He pleaded guilty on March 6, 2024.
On November 24, 2022, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services operated a sobriety checkpoint near St. Francis, South Dakota, and Kills Plenty drove a vehicle through the inspection area. Kills Plenty was directed to pull over for a further DWI investigation. Instead, he failed to comply and fled the checkpoint in his vehicle, leading officers on a high-speed chase. Later, he stopped his vehicle and was apprehended. As he was being transported to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Adult Corrections Facility (RSTACF), he became argumentative and combative. Once at the jail, he argued with jail staff and spat upon a correctional officer, striking the officer in the face with saliva. At the time of the assault, the officer was employed by the RSTACF pursuant to a contract between the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Maher prosecuted the case.
Kills Plenty was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal to serve his sentence.
New York Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Buffalo, New York, man convicted of Production of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on July 22, 2024.
Timothy Raymond Myers, a/k/a C.J. Mikowski, a/k/a Colin James, age 39, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. This federal sentence is to be served concurrently to a 20-year federal sentence from New York he received in 2020.
Myers was indicted by a federal grand jury in South Dakota in July of 2023. He pleaded guilty on April 30, 2024.
The conviction stemmed from incidents between July 4, 2016, and July 2, 2017, when Myers impersonated a teenage male on Facebook and contacted a teenage minor female in South Dakota. After Myers persuaded the teenage girl to send him sexually explicit photos, he threatened to publicly post the photos unless she sent more of them. Law enforcement officers investigating the case found multiple teenage girls throughout the United States that Myers had victimized with the same methods.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Myers was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mission Man Sentenced for Possession of an Unregistered FirearmRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. The sentencing took place on July 22, 2024.
Mikel Swift Hawk, a/k/a Mikal Swift Hawk, age 25, was sentenced to three years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Swift Hawk was indicted by a federal grand jury in February of 2023. He pleaded guilty on April 4, 2024.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on November 26, 2022, in Mission, South Dakota, within the boundaries of the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On that date, Swift Hawk was a passenger in a vehicle that was involved in a traffic stop. Law enforcement officers located a short shotgun in the vehicle, which Swift Hawk admitted to possessing. The short shotgun had a barrel of less than eighteen inches in length and was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Swift Hawk will forfeit ownership of the firearm to the United States.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Swift Hawk was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Woman Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, woman convicted of Possession of a Stolen Firearm. The sentencing took place on July 12, 2024.
Danielle Coats, age, 23, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $7,169.97 in restitution.
Coats was indicted for Possession of a Stolen Firearm, Tampering, and Accessory After the Fact by a federal grand jury in February of 2024. She pleaded guilty on April 26, 2024.
Between August of 2023 and September of 2023, at Rapid City, Coats was found to be in possession of a Beretta 12-gauge shotgun, a Benelli 12-gauge shotgun, a USA Military Surplus .30 caliber rifle, and a Stoeger 12-gauge shotgun, knowing the firearms had previously been stolen by another person from various licensed firearms dealers in Rapid City. After coming into possession of the firearms and learning that law enforcement was aware of who had stolen them and that the firearms were likely at Coats’ residence, Coats involved others in removing the firearms from her residence to another family member’s home. Subsequently, Coats directed others to again move or dispose of the firearms to prevent law enforcement from recovering them.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Coats was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
McLaughlin Man Sentenced for Vehicular BatteryRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Charles B. Kornmann, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man convicted of Vehicular Battery. The sentencing took place on July 8, 2024.
Jerry Bruce Petersen, age 69, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison, and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Petersen was indicted by a federal grand jury in April of 2023. He pleaded guilty on November 13, 2023.
Shortly before 9:00 p.m. on January 28, 2023, Petersen was driving his F-150 truck on South Dakota Hwy 63 near McLaughlin, when he struck three pedestrians. One of the pedestrians incurred life-threatening injuries requiring an airlift to Bismarck, North Dakota. Petersen’s alcohol concentration was 0.13. The location of the offense lay within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the General Crimes Act, a federal statute, authorizes federal prosecution of certain crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Petersen was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. The sentencing took place on June 7, 2024.
Charles Nichols, 51, was sentenced to 24 years and 5 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Nichols was indicted for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Attempted Enticement of a Minor by a federal grand jury in March 2023. He pleaded guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Minor on March 28, 2024.
Nichols admitted that he communicated with a minor, who was then aged 16 and 17, over Instagram for several months. He then offered her alcohol, marijuana, and vape pods in exchanged for sexual activity between August and October of 2022. Nichols used his cellular phone to record some of these sexual acts with the minor. Nichols was arrested after he drove to the Monument Arena in October of 2022, during the Black Hills Pow Wow, to exchange a vape pen for sexual acts with a different minor.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
Nichols was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Wanblee Man Sentenced to Fifteen Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Wanblee, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor. The sentencing took place on June 28, 2024.
Benjamin Francis Sitting Up, Jr., 38, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Sitting Up was indicted for Sexual Abuse and Abusive Sexual Contact by a federal grand jury. He pleaded guilty on April 12, 2024, to Sexual Abuse of a Minor.
The conviction stemmed from Sitting Up sexually abusing a thirteen-year-old female in November of 2023. In 2019, Sitting Up had been convicted of transferring obscene material to another female. A federal judge had sentenced him to three years in prison with supervision to follow. After being released from prison, Sitting Up digitally raped another minor in his Wanblee, South Dakota, home, leading to the instant charges. In sentencing Sitting Up to fifteen years, the district court judge explained the statutory maximum sentence was appropriate given the defendant’s history of victimizing young girls.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Sitting Up was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Bank Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of three counts of Bank Fraud and three counts of Money Laundering. The sentencing took place on July 2, 2024.
Steven Arthur Knigge, 77, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $600 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, $20,833 in restitution to the United States Department of Treasury, $6,140 in restitution to Wells Fargo Bank, and $225 in restitution to Med5 Federal Credit Union.
Knigge was indicted on five counts of Bank Fraud, eight counts of Money Laundering, and one count of Wire Faud by a federal grand jury in July of 2022. He pleaded guilty on February 7, 2024.
Beginning in April of 2021 and continuing through April of 2022, Knigge devised a scheme to defraud several banking institutions for his own personal gain, including Med5 Federal Credit Union, Wells Fargo Bank, Black Hills Federal Credit Union, and Highmark Federal Credit Union. As part of his scheme, Knigge deposited seven fraudulent checks totaling approximately $200,000 knowing the checks were fraudulent. Knigge then transferred a portion of the fraudulent funds to another account or withdrew cash before the banks were able to determine the funds were fraudulent.
In April of 2021, Knigge also submitted a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application requesting $20,833 of government funds. In the PPP application, Knigge claimed he owned and operated a residential remodeling business. However, Knigge never owned or operated a residential remodeling business, and the investigation showed the banking and Form W-2 documents that were submitted in support of the application were fraudulent. Knigge received the PPP funds and then immediately withdrew nearly the entire amount in cash.
“IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), in conjunction with our law enforcement partners, continues to actively pursue and prosecute those who abused the COVID pandemic relief programs and hold them accountable for defrauding the government,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Murdock, St. Louis Field Office. “Mr. Knigge, a former fraud investigator for the South Dakota Dept. of Revenue, admitted he submitted a fraudulent PPP application for personal gain, knowing he wasn’t entitled to those funds.”
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Knigge was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Pine Ridge Woman Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, woman convicted of two counts of Involuntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on July 8, 2024.
Janine Faye Good Lance, 45, was sentenced to two-five year terms in federal prison, each to run concurrently, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Good Lance was indicted for Involuntary Manslaughter by a federal grand jury in March of 2023. She was found guilty on April 11, 2024, following a three-day jury trial.
On November 18, 2022, Good Lance drove while intoxicated on BIA Highway 18, near Pine Ridge, South Dakota, while her two friends rode in the car with her. Good Lance, who was wearing a seatbelt at the time she crashed, was the sole survivor. The passengers were ejected from the vehicle and killed when it rolled several times. During the trial, Good Lance claimed her front seat passenger grabbed the steering wheel unexpectedly and caused the car to lose control. Troopers with the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Highway Safety testified, however, using crash reconstruction expertise and the vehicle’s “black box” data, and proved Good Lance’s testimony was false. Good Lance had six prior Tribal arrests for driving under the influence, and two convictions in state court for driving under the influence.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Highway Safety, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
Good Lance must self-surrender to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.