District of South Dakota

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a jury has convicted Brandon Brave Heart, age 42, of Kyle, South Dakota, of Assault by Striking, Beating, or Wounding and Simple Assault following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on October 8, 2026.

The charges carry a maximum penalty of one year in custody and/or a $100,000 fine, one year of supervised release, and a $25 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. 

Brave Heart was indicted for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon by a federal grand jury in September 2024. 

On July 23, 2024, shortly before 7:30 pm, the victim and his family were at the Common Cents convenience store located at Sharp’s Corner near Kyle, SD.  The victim had his back to the door when Brave Heart entered the store.  Brave Heart walked towards the victim from behind and struck him with a closed fist in the back of the head.  The victim fell to the ground, and Brave Heart continued to strike the victim.  During the assault, Brave Heart used fists to punch the victim and his tennis shoes to kick the victim twice in the face. 

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 Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby VanDenBerg prosecuted the case. 

A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date has yet to be set.

Sioux Falls - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, SD, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.  The sentencing took place on October 5, 2026. 

Jorge Ramos, 37, was sentenced to two 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.

Ramos was indicted for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person by a federal grand jury in April 2026.  He pleaded guilty on June 22, 2026.

In January of this year, Ramos, wearing a black facemask, was driving a car with dealer plates and had attempted to evade law enforcement numerous times, speeding away when detectives activated their lights and attempted to initiate a traffic stop.  Ramos ultimately fled from the vehicle and threw a semi-automatic pistol to the ground where it was discovered by law enforcement.  The gun had previously been stolen from a parked car in Sioux Falls. Ramos, who was found in possession of fentanyl, pills, and drug paraphernalia, admitted not only to possessing the stolen semi-automatic pistol but to having traded methamphetamine to acquire the gun earlier that day.  Ramos was prohibited from possessing the gun because of a felony conviction for Identity Theft in 2024, in Minnehaha County.  He has been convicted of several other offenses.

“This habitual offender was up to no good,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.  “A stolen gun, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and fleeing from police.  The good news is that he will be off the streets of Sioux Falls for a while.”

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan McFall prosecuted the case.

Ramos was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

SIOUX FALLS- United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, SD woman convicted of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death.  The sentencing took place on October 5, 2026. 

Regan Lehr, 29, 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.

Lehr was indicted for Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death by a federal grand jury in August 2025.  She pleaded guilty on July 27, 2026.

On February 28, 2025, Sioux Falls Police officers responded to a report of an overdose.  They found Creighton Cowles unresponsive in his apartment and attempted live-saving efforts but were ultimately unsuccessful and Cowles died.  A coroner later determined Cowles’ cause of death was fentanyl toxicity.  Investigators discovered that Regan Lehr had sold Cowles a tenth of gram of powder containing fentanyl shortly before his death.  Cowles ingested the fentanyl resulting in his overdose and death.  

This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department, the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, and the DEA.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

Lehr was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court has sentenced a Sioux Falls, SD, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.  The sentencing took place on October 5, 2026.

Dwight Ree, 33, was sentenced to 3 years and 1 month in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Ree was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in October 2025.  He pleaded guilty on July 20, 2026.

On March 24, 2025, Ree was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by a Sioux Falls Police Department officer.  In the course of the traffic stop, investigators discovered a Glock model 19 pistol under the passenger seat of the vehicle.  Ree’s DNA was later identified as being present on the firearm.  Ree is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2012 conviction for First Degree Manslaughter in Minnehaha County, SD. 

This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.

Ree was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, United States District Court, has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.  The sentencing took place on October 5, 2026.

Brian Thunder Shield, age 29, was sentenced to two years and nine months in federal prison, followed by six years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. 

Thunder Shield was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2026.  He pleaded guilty on August 3, 2026.

The conviction stemmed from Thunder Shield’s failure to register as a sex offender as required by federal law between October 17, 2025, and January 15, 2026.  While unregistered, Thunder Shield allegedly committed a new sex offense.  Charges related to that alleged conduct were filed by the Lincoln County States Attorney’s Office in March 2026 and remain pending.  Thunder Shield had previously been convicted of a sex offense in federal court which requires him to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

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 U.S. Marshals Service.  Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell prosecuted the case.

Thunder Shield was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Starkville, Mississippi, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.  The sentencing took place on October 5, 2026. 

William Brooks, Jr., 24, was sentenced to one year 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.

Brooks was indicted for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person by a federal grand jury in October 2024.  He pleaded guilty on July 13, 2026.

On August 1, 2024, Brooks was stopped by a South Dakota Highway Patrol Trooper while riding a motorcycle on I-90 toward the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.  During the traffic stop, the trooper found a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson pistol on Brooks’ person.  Brooks is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2019 felony conviction in Mississippi for Possession of Methamphetamine. 

This case was investigated by the South Dakota Highway Patrol and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.

Brooks was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Yankton, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.  The sentencing took place on October 5, 2026. 

Steven Duncan, 67, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $500 fine and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Duncan was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in March 2026.  He pleaded guilty on July 17, 2026.

Duncan was arrested in November 2025 by the Yankton Police Department in possession of a pistol and ammunition.  He was prohibited from possessing both the firearm and the ammunition because of a prior felony conviction for Driving Under the Influence, Fifth Offense, in November 2010.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson prosecuted the case.

Duncan was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Fort Thompson woman and a Lower Brule man convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Aiding and Abetting.

Dalton Erickson, age 29, pleaded guilty on June 9, 2026.  He was sentenced on September 21, 2026, to six years and six months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Logan Marks, age 29, pleaded guilty on July 2, 2026.  She was sentenced on October 5, 2026, to three years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Erickson and Marks were indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2025. 

These convictions stem from a traffic stop on March 12, 2024, within the Lower Brule Sioux Indian Reservation.  Erickson was the driver and Marks was a passenger in the vehicle pulled over by law enforcement.  A drug-sniffing dog detected a telltale scent inside the car.  Officers searched the vehicle and located 97.4 grams of pure methamphetamine.  Erickson and Marks had hidden the drugs in the engine compartment of the vehicle. 

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). 

This case was investigated by the BIA and FBI.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.

Erickson and Marks were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, woman convicted of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death.  The sentencing took place on October 5, 2026. 

Jessi Whaley, 27, was sentenced to 20 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.

Whaley was indicted for Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death by a federal grand jury in June 2025.  She pleaded guilty on July 23, 2026.

On November 9, 2024, Sioux Falls police officers responded to a report of people passed out in a vehicle at a business in south Sioux Falls.  They found Shannon Groeneweg unresponsive in the vehicle and determined that she had likely used fentanyl.  The officers were unable to revive Groeneweg and she passed away.  The coroner determined Groeneweg died from fentanyl and carfentanil toxicity.  Investigators reviewed surveillance video and Groeneweg’s phone to determine that Jessi Whaley had provided Groeneweg powder fentanyl on the day of her death shortly before she was found unconscious.  Groeneweg ingested the fentanyl she obtained from Whaley and died as a result. 

“I am heartbroken that we continue to lose lives to fentanyl and its illegal analogs,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.  “Powdered fentanyl is synthesized by Mexican drug cartels, using precursor chemicals acquired from China, and then smuggled across our border and distributed to every part of South Dakota by drug trafficking organizations that have their hooks into people in almost every community.”

“Fentanyl is sold in amounts small enough to disappear into a pocket, and lethal enough to erase a life in minutes,” U.S. Attorney Parsons continued.  “It is a substance that does not negotiate.  It does not distinguish between a first-time user and an addict in a longtime struggle.  It simply stops your breathing and stops your heart, and then the people who loved you spend years trying to learn how to live around that silence. Today’s federal prison sentence cannot restore what was taken.  It can, and does, hold the person who sold and profited from that poison accountable for the death and misery that followed, and it tells every dealer in the drug distribution chain who treats a fatal dose as inventory and victims as disposable customers, that this office will not.”

This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

Whaley was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute.  The sentencing took place on October 5, 2026. 

Bryan Bruins, 24, was sentenced to 22 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.

Bruins was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute by a federal grand jury in April 2026.  He pleaded guilty on July 20, 2026.

Sioux Falls Police Officers responded to a report of an overdose at an apartment rented by Bryan Bruins in Sioux Falls.  They later searched the apartment and discovered approximately two pounds of methamphetamine and a stolen pistol.  Investigators found text messages on Bruins’ phone that showed he had been distributing methamphetamine in Sioux Falls.  Bruins was on parole at the time the methamphetamine was found in his apartment. 

This case was investigated by U.S. Postal Investigation Service and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

Bruins was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.  The sentencing took place on October 5, 2026. 

Shawn Willis, 35, was sentenced to 11 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.

Willis was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in October 2025.  He pleaded guilty on July 23, 2026.

Sioux Falls Police Department officers encountered Willis after he was found passed out behind the wheel of a running vehicle.  Officers eventually searched the vehicle and found approximately 350 grams of methamphetamine and a pistol.  Investigators discovered that Willis was part of a methamphetamine distribution organization that obtained methamphetamine from Omaha and California and then distributed it in Sioux Falls.  Investigators determined that Willis was responsible for distributing over two pounds of methamphetamine during his involvement in the conspiracy. 

This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department, Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

Willis was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Box Elder, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt of Child Pornography.  The sentencing took place on October 5, 2026. 

Zachary Wylie, 20, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $95 in restitution and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  Forfeiture of a Google Pixel cell phone was also ordered. 

Wylie was indicted for the charge by a federal grand jury in March 2025.  He pleaded guilty on June 29, 2026.

Between June and December 2024, the internet-based messaging application Kik generated multiple CyberTips based on Wylie’s viewing, downloading, and receiving sexually explicit visual depictions of minors.  The CyberTips were routed to the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for investigation.  Each of the CyberTips contained information identifying Wylie as the user of each of the relevant Kik accounts.  In January 2025, law enforcement investigators executed a search warrant on Wylie’s residence and seized multiple electronic devices.  Wylie admitted he had been viewing child pornography online for many years and was doing so right before law enforcement arrived at his residence. The contents of his Kik accounts contained more than 30 videos of child pornography.  They also contained messages in which Wylie discussed trading child pornography and encouraging minors to engage in sexually explicit activity over video chats so he could watch them.  

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 South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the Box Elder Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.  Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case. 

Wylie was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.  The sentencing took place on September 28, 2026. 

Decimas Jesus Laurelez, 23, was sentenced to three 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.

Laurelez was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2026.  He pleaded guilty on July 27, 2026.

As set forth in court documents, in the early morning hours of January 1, 2026, law enforcement lawfully searched Laurelez’s vehicle.  In his vehicle, law enforcement located and seized a firearm and marijuana.  At that time, the firearm was loaded with ammunition, and it had been reported stolen. In court, Laurelez admitted to knowingly possessing the firearm and ammunition.  He also admitted to possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).  Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Sioux Falls Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.

Laurelez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.  The sentencing took place on September 28, 2026. 

Avery Hawk Wing, 36, was sentenced to three years and 10 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. Forfeiture was also ordered.

Hawk Wing was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2024.  He was found guilty on July 2, 2026, following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City.

Evidence at trial showed Hawk Wing handled a rifle that was in a tote bag that belonged to him.  Hawk Wing told law enforcement that he touched the firearm when going through his tote bag.  Unsurprisingly, forensic examination revealed Hawk Wing’s DNA on several locations of the firearm, consistent with him handling the firearm. Hawk Wing was previously convicted of a felony crime punishable beyond a year in prison and, as a result, is prohibited from possessing firearms.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe.  Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges.  As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe.  PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies.  These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case. 

Hawk Wing was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief District Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Rapid City man convicted of Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person.  The sentencing took place on September 28, 2026. 

Patrick Riley Bettelyoun, 47, 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.

Bettelyoun was indicted for Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in July 2025.  He pleaded guilty on June 29, 2026.

Bettelyoun was convicted of a felony offense for possession of a controlled substance in Codington County, South Dakota, in 2022.  In October 2024, Bettelyoun was on parole and absconded. Accordingly, an arrest warrant was issued and the warrant area task force found him in a vehicle in Sioux Falls and performed a traffic stop.  During a search of Bettelyoun’s vehicle, law enforcement located a firearm, ammunition, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. 

This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.

Bettelyoun was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact.  The sentencing took place on August 31, 2026. 

William Beane Davis, 38, was sentenced to nine 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.

Davis was indicted for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Distribution of a Controlled Substance to an Individual under 21 by a federal grand jury in July 2025.  He pleaded guilty on May 29, 2026.

Davis was in an intimate relationship with a female who was the mother of the female juvenile victim in this case.  He served as a father figure to the victim and was involved in the victim’s life until the Spring of 2025.  At that time, the victim disclosed, Davis sexually abused her on more than one occasion. Ultimately, Davis admitted that between December 2020 and March 2021, he touched the victim’s genitalia over her clothing with the intent to gratify his sexual desire.

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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.

Davis was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Murdo, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on September 28, 2026. 

Tyree Yellow Elk, age 31, 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.

Yellow Elk was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2026.  He pleaded guilty on June 29, 2026.

In 2017, Yellow Elk was convicted in U.S. District Court of Possession of Child Pornography and sentenced to seven years in federal prison.  In October 2025, he was on federal supervised release and residing in Murdo.  On October 9, 2025, law enforcement searched Yellow Elk’s residence and seized a mobile device that contained thousands of images and 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.

This case was investigated by the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Marshals Service.  Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.

Yellow Elk was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.  The sentencing took place on September 28, 2026. 

Daniel Hart, age 20, was sentenced to six years and seven months in federal prison on each count, with the sentence to be served concurrently, followed by three years of supervised release.  Hart was further ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. 

Hart was indicted in January 2026.  He pleaded guilty on June 29, 2026.

The convictions stemmed from two separate incidents that occurred within the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation.  On May 24, 2025, Hart and others assaulted a man with a machete and shod feet outside a gas station in Mission, South Dakota.  The man sustained multiple injuries including lacerations to his left arm and scalp. 

In a separate incident on December 6, 2025, a man was driving a vehicle in Mission when his vehicle was blocked in by another vehicle occupied by Hart.  Hart exited his vehicle and approached the man’s vehicle on the driver’s side.  Hart pointed a firearm through the driver’s side window and pulled the trigger, striking the man in the leg.  

These matters were 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.

These cases were investigated by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby VanDenBerg prosecuted the case.

Hart was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

RAPID CITY – U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Mexican man convicted of Illegal Reentry after Deportation.  The sentencing took place on September 18, 2026. 

Marco Jimenez-Sanchez, 38, was sentenced to time served.  He will be deported back to Mexico.

Jimenez-Sanchez was indicted for Illegal Reentry after Deportation by a federal grand jury in June 2026.  He pleaded guilty on September 18, 2026.

Jimenez-Sanchez is an alien and Mexican national.  He has been deported from the United States on multiple occasions.  On May 21, 2026, in Box Elder, SD, Ellsworth Air Force Security Forces and Box Elder Police Department were dispatched after Jimenez-Sanchez was observed crossing a fence into a restricted construction area. Jimenez-Sanchez was not on the list of employees allowed in the restricted area.  It is a federal felony for an alien to be present in the United States after deportation and without permission for reentry.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Box Elder Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case. 

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of Child Pornography.  The sentencing took place on September 28, 2026. 

Kevin Davison, 49, was sentenced to five 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 $570 in restitution for the examination of his digital devices. 

Davison was indicted for four counts of Receipt of Child Pornography and one count of Possession of Child Pornography by a federal grand jury in September 2025.  He pleaded guilty to the Possession of Child Pornography on April 21, 2026.

Between May 2022 and September 2023, Davison used an internet-based application, his laptop, and two cellular phones to upload photographs of clothed minors who were known to him.  The application used artificial intelligence technology to “remove” the clothes of the minors in the photographs and replace the clothes with AI-generated nude bodies. Each of the images were then modified to appear that they were engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  In addition to these images, he had several other images constituting child sexual abuse material. 

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 South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Box Elder Police Department.  Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case. 

Davison was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.  The sentencing took place on September 28, 2026. 

Austin Joseph Means, 35, 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.

Means was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2025.  He pleaded guilty on June 29, 2026.

On March 13, 2025, detectives with the Sioux Falls Police Department executed a search warrant at a residence in northwest Sioux Falls.  During the execution of the search warrant, detectives detained a number of individuals, including Means.  A subsequent search of the residence revealed, among other items, a semi-automatic pistol and an extended magazine loaded with 15 live rounds of ammunition.  Forensic testing of the firearm proved that Means had earlier possessed the firearm. Since Means had been previously convicted of a felony—Possession of a Controlled Substance—he is not legally permitted to possess firearms. 

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).  Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Sioux Falls Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell prosecuted the case.

Means was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute.  The sentencing took place on September 28, 2026. 

Jason Pfuhl, 41, was sentenced to seven years and eight months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Pfuhl was indicted for possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute by a federal grand jury in November 2025.  He pleaded guilty on June 15, 2026.

Sioux Falls Police officers came into contact with Pfuhl after they stopped the vehicle in which he was a passenger.  They eventually searched the vehicle and found approximately 100 grams of methamphetamine in the area where Pfuhl was seated in the car. 

This case was investigated by the DEA.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

Pfuhl was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

RAPID CITY – U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Mexican man convicted of Illegal Reentry after Deportation.  The sentencing took place on September 22, 2026.

Rodrigo Ginez-Valiente, 33, was sentenced to time served.  He will be deported to Mexico.

In February 2026, Ginez-Valiente was indicted by a federal grand jury for Illegal Reentry after Deportation.  He pleaded guilty on June 29, 2026.

Ginez-Valiente is an alien who was deported from the United States to Mexico in 2018.  On May 11, 2026, Ginez-Valiente was found by law enforcement in Rapid City.  It is a federal felony for an alien to be in the United States after having been deported from the United States without obtaining the consent of the Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security or the Attorney General of the United States for lawful admission into the United States. 

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). 

This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the United States Marshals Service.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case. 

ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Little Eagle, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Contact without Permission.  The sentencing took place on September 22, 2026. 

Vincent Anthony Makes Him First, age 47, was sentenced to two 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.

Makes Him First was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2025.  He pleaded guilty on June 22, 2026.

On October 8, 2024, Makes Him First invited a woman to drink alcohol with him behind a grocery store in McLaughlin, South Dakota, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. After consuming alcohol to excess, they decamped to a nearby garage, where the woman lost consciousness and Makes Him First groped her buttocks without her consent.

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.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.

Makes Him First was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to serve his federal sentence. 

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Glendale, Arizona, man convicted Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine and Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance – Fentanyl.  The sentencing took place on September 28, 2026. 

John Roth, 58, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Roth was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in October 2025.  He was convicted after a three-day trial on July 8, 2026.

Evidence at trial showed Roth was the Arizona-based source for a Sioux Falls drug trafficking organization, providing fentanyl and methamphetamine from Mexico through Arizona to Sioux Falls and the surrounding area.  Roth provided the drugs while other members of the conspiracy transported and sold them.  The evidence revealed more than 150 pounds of methamphetamine was delivered to Sioux Falls for sale within approximately eight months in 2024 and early 2025.

“John Stanford Roth was a key part of the Matthew Shade drug trafficking organization, which funneled Cartel-sourced fentanyl and methamphetamine in bulk quantities across the border from Mexico, into Arizona, and then up to Sioux Falls and the surrounding area,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.  “Of thirteen defendants in this conspiracy, he is one of the last to be sentenced.  The methodical takedown of the Shade organization is the result of incredible work by our federal prosecutors and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force.”

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Investigation Service and the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Hodges and Connie Larson prosecuted the case. 

Roth was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

SIOUX FALLS – First Assistant United States Attorney Gregg Peterman announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.  The sentencing took place on September 21, 2026. 

Ryan Tulio, 41, 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.

Tulio was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in July 2025.  He pleaded guilty on June 29, 2026.

Tulio was part of a drug trafficking organization that was obtaining methamphetamine from Arizona and then distributing it in the Sioux Falls area.  Tulio was personally involved with distributing approximately 2 ½ pounds of methamphetamine during his involvement in the conspiracy. 

This case was investigated by United States Postal Inspection Service and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

Tulio was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.  The sentencing took place on September 21, 2026. 

Brendon Williams, 32, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  

Williams was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in January of 2025.  He pleaded guilty on June 10, 2026.

Beginning at least in January 2024, Williams routinely traveled to the Denver, Colorado, area to purchase large quantities of fentanyl destined for the northern Black Hills.  After graduating from Drug Court in May 2023 following convictions for multiple drug offenses in state court, Williams reengaged in drug trafficking and became one of the larger fentanyl suppliers in the northern Black Hills.  Through informants, surveillance, search warrants, and subpoenas, investigators determined Williams was trafficking thousands of counterfeit M/30 fentanyl pills on a bi-weekly basis into South Dakota.  In total, the investigation established Williams was responsible for transporting and distributing at least 3.5 kilograms, or 35,000 counterfeit M/30 fentanyl pills, in South Dakota.  Over 322 grams of fentanyl were seized during the investigation.

“I’m very proud of our federal prosecutors and the UNET investigative team for cornering this fentanyl dealer and putting him behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.  “Anyone else dealing this poison in South Dakota can expect a similar fate.”

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).  Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET).  UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Highway Patrol and the South Dakota National Guard.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward C. Tarbay prosecuted the case.

Williams was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Porcupine, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor.  The sentencing took place on September 14, 2026. 

Griffin Cross, 31, was sentenced to two years and nine months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  Cross will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

Cross was indicted for Sexual Abuse of a Minor by a federal grand jury in February 2026.  He pleaded guilty on June 9, 2026.

In November of 2025, Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety received a report of Cross sexually assaulting a thirteen-year-old girl in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.  Cross exchanged nude pictures with the victim over a social media site, sending her a picture of his private anatomy.  Cross then met up with the victim at his residence and sexually abused her.

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 Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.

Cross was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Little Eagle, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor.  The sentencing took place on September 22, 2026. 

Arthur Lane Taken Alive III, age 23, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Taken Alive was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2025.  He pleaded guilty on March 25, 2026.

Around 11:00 p.m. on December 27, 2024, a 15-year-old girl was walking home across the footbridge in Bullhead, South Dakota when Taken Alive accosted her.  When the girl declined his invitation to come with him, Taken Alive dragged her to a nearby root cellar and raped her.  Bullhead is a community in the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation.

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 and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.

Taken Alive was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to serve his federal sentence. 

ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Brookings, South Dakota (formerly of Veblen, SD), man convicted after a jury trial of two counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child.  The sentencing took place on September 21, 2026.

Joseph Darrell Peterson, Jr., age 47, was sentenced to Life in federal prison and must pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.

Peterson was indicted by a federal grand jury in August of 2024.  He was found guilty of both counts following a jury trial the week of June 15, 2026.

Over the course of twelve years, starting in 2006 when the child was just 6 years old, Peterson began to groom and sexually assault her.  Peterson lived in the home with the child and was a parental figure to her.  Over the next 12 years, throughout multiple states and locations including the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation, Peterson repeatedly and illegally raped and sexually abused the child.  The child was able to escape the home and abuse when she was 19.  Then in 2023, she summoned the courage to report the abuse to law enforcement.  An investigation ensued resulting in the federal prosecution and leading to the guilty verdicts and sentence.  

This case was investigated by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Tribal Law Enforcement, South Dakota DCI, and the FBI.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ebert-Webb and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Person AUSA for the Great Plains Region Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case. 

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 is part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people through the resolution of MMIP cases and communication, coordination, and collaboration with federal, Tribal, state, and local partners.  The Department views this work as a priority for its law enforcement components. Through the MMIP Regional Outreach Program, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify MMIP cases and issues in Tribal communities and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. This prosecution upholds the Department’s mission to the unwavering pursuit of justice on behalf of victims and their families despite the passage of time.

This case was also 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. 

Peterson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Wakpala, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault of an Intimate and Dating Partner by Strangulation and Suffocation and Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to an Intimate and Dating Partner.  The sentencing took place on September 22, 2026. 

Mathias Kane Fast Horse, age 19, was sentenced to five years and 11 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Fast Horse was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2025.  He pleaded guilty on June 22, 2026.

On November 18, 2024, Fast Horse purposefully inhaled some household chemicals and then strangled his girlfriend until she lost consciousness.  He continued by pushing, slapping, and punching her, spraining her knee.  On April 14, 2025, Fast Horse punched his girlfriend’s head several times, rupturing her right ear drum.  When the woman fled and took shelter in a neighbor’s home, Fast Horse gave chase, but could not break into the house.  These events occurred in Wakpala within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation.

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.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.

Fast Horse was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to serve his federal sentence. 

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on September 21, 2026.

Jackson Wayne Sully, 37, was sentenced to three years and eight 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.

Sully was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2026. He pleaded guilty on June 22, 2026. 

According to court documents, on November 6, 2025, Violent Crime Unit Detectives with the Sioux Falls Police Department assisted members of the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office Civil Division with a lockout eviction at Sully’s residence. While clearing the apartment, law enforcement observed items containing methamphetamine, residue, and paraphernalia. Sully’s recent drug use prohibited him from possessing a firearm.

During the execution of a search warrant, law enforcement located a loaded black Springfield XD 9mm handgun. This handgun was found in Sully’s bedroom, and his DNA was present on the firearm. As a result of prior felony convictions, Sully was likewise prohibited from possessing any firearms. 

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.

Sully was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor. The sentencing took place on September 22, 2026. 

Bucorey Bell, age 29, was sentenced to six years in federal prison, followed by ten years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Bell was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2023.  He pleaded guilty on June 17, 2026.

In August 2023 Bell began a romantic relationship with the victim who was under the age of 16, ultimately culminating in Bell and the victim engaging in sexual acts on multiple occasions.  The abuse occurred within the Crow Creek Sioux Indian Reservation.

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 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 is part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people through the resolution of MMIP cases and communication, coordination, and collaboration with federal, Tribal, state, and local partners.  The Department views this work as a priority for its law enforcement components.  Through the MMIP Regional Outreach Program, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify MMIP cases and issues in Tribal communities and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  This prosecution upholds the Department’s mission to the unwavering pursuit of justice on behalf of victims and their families despite the passage of time. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs-Office of Justice Services and the FBI. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Great Plains Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.

Bell was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact.  The sentencing took place on September 14, 2026. 

Donovan He Crow, 53, was sentenced to eight 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. He Crow will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

He Crow was indicted for Abusive Sexual Contact by a federal grand jury in November 2025.  He pleaded guilty on March 6, 2026.

He Crow entered a child’s bedroom during the nighttime and forcibly engaged in sexual contact with her by groping her bare breast.  The child was between the ages of 12 and 13 when the offense occurred.

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 Criminal Investigations Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.

He Crow was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Pierre, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on September 14, 2026. 

Duane Long Pumpkin, age 27, was sentenced to eight months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Long Pumpkin was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2025. He pleaded guilty on June 11, 2026. 

Long Pumpkin was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in U.S. District Court in 2023. Consequently, he is required to register as a sex offender and update his registration within three business days of relocation or changing employment or student status.  In October 2024, Long Pumpkin updated his sex offender registration to reflect that he was residing in Allen, South Dakota.  He relocated to Pierre in December 2024, but he did not update his sex offender registration.  Long Pumpkin was arrested in Pierre on February 14, 2025.

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 U.S. Marshals Service and the Pierre Police Department. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.

Long Pumpkin was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief United States District Court Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet.  The sentencing took place on September 14, 2026.

Ryan Nigro, age 34, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.  Upon release from federal prison, Nigro must register as a sex offender for 25 years. 

Nigro was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024.  He was found guilty at a jury trial on June 4, 2026.

The conviction stemmed from an undercover chat operation in which several law enforcement agencies worked together to identify individuals using the Internet to attempt to have sex with children.  In this case, Nigro used the application Reddit to start a conversation with a person he believed was a 12-year-old girl.  Nigro introduced the topic of sex into the conversation and asked the child to meet with him at a local hotel for sex.  Nigro arrived at the hotel where he was arrested by law enforcement.  The 12-year-old female persona was operated by a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations. 

This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Sioux Falls Police Department, Watertown Police Department, Tea Police Department, Rapid City Police Department, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and South Dakota Highway Patrol.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth E. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case. 

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.

Nigro was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced an Oglala, South Dakota, man convicted of Second Degree Murder. The sentencing took place on September 14, 2026. 

Teldon Kills Small, 19, 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.

Kills Small was indicted for Second Degree Murder, Discharge of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon by a federal grand jury in December 2025. He pleaded guilty on June 9, 2026.

On the evening of November 29, 2025, Kills Small and others were consuming alcohol to excess.  The male victim told Kills Small and others with Kills Small that they needed to leave. Kills Small discharged nine rounds from his firearm, striking the male victim seven times in the chest and torso, as well as a juvenile female victim who was nearby.  This all occurred on the male victim’s mother’s exterior porch. The victim died on scene and the female sustained bodily injury to her arm.  The defendant fled the residence and was later apprehended in Rapid City.

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 Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.

Kills Small was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Norris, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing took place on September 14, 2026. 

Chauncy Crow Dog, age 32, was sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Crow Dog was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2025. He pleaded guilty on June 9, 2026.

The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in an area of Mellete County, South Dakota, that is part of the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation.  On the evening of October 16, 2024, Crow Dog was at a residence in the Corn Creek Community when he observed two men fighting outside. Crow Dog exited the residence, picked up a shovel, and struck one of the men in the face with it, causing a broken jaw.

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 Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.

Crow Dog was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Murdo, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on September 14, 2026. 

Dane Menard, 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.

Menard was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2025. He pleaded guilty on June 15, 2026.

The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in an area of Mellette County, South Dakota, that is part of the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation.  On March 15, 2025, Menard struck the victim, an adult male, with his vehicle in the driveway of a residence near White River, South Dakota.  The victim was hospitalized with injuries that included a broken arm and broken ankle.

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 Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.

Menard was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Martin, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor. The sentencing took place on September 14, 2026. 

Austin Starr, 33, was sentenced to four years and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Starr will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

Starr was indicted for two counts Sexual Abuse of a Minor by a federal grand jury in September 2025. He pleaded guilty on June 9, 2026.

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 Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.

Starr was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that United States District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced an Arizona man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.  The sentencing took place on August 31, 2026. 

Gaylen Holy Rock, 40, was sentenced to 10 years and one month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. 

Holy Rock was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in April 2025.  He pleaded guilty on March 2, 2026.

Beginning in 2023, Holy Rock worked with others to distribute methamphetamine within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.  He received methamphetamine from co-conspirators in the Rapid City, South Dakota, area and was responsible for distributing over 500 grams of methamphetamine during his involvement in the conspiracy.

“Working together, law enforcement agencies across South Dakota are doing everything we can to eliminate the scourge of methamphetamine and other illicit drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.  “This defendant chose to victimize the communities of the Pine Ridge Reservation. He will now spend the next decade in federal prison, which should provide plenty of time to contemplate the wisdom of that decision.”

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). 

The investigation was conducted by the Badlands Safe Trails Task Force. The Task Force is comprised of agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward C. Tarbay prosecuted the case.

Holy Rock was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence.

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that United States District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Norfolk, Nebraska, man convicted of Assault on a Federal Officer.  The sentencing took place on August 31, 2026. 

Cody Dittman, 36, was sentenced to five years and 10 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. 

Dittman was indicted for Assault on a Federal Officer by a federal grand jury in May 2025.  He pleaded guilty on May 20, 2026.

On May 2, 2025, Dittman refused to pull over after officers with the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety attempted a traffic stop.  Dittman led law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit throughout the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, ultimately leaving Pine Ridge and entering Fall River County.  During the pursuit, Dittman swerved his vehicle directly towards law enforcement officers deploying spike strips as they attempted to end the pursuit.

The investigation was conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the South Dakota DCI, the Fall River County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Marshal Service.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward C. Tarbay prosecuted the case.

Dittman was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence.

RAPID CITY – U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Mexican man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer.  The sentencing took place on August 31, 2026. 

Eriberto Gonzalez-Ginez, 23, was sentenced to eight months in federal prison and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Gonzalez-Ginez will also be deported back to Mexico upon completion of his sentence.

Gonzalez-Ginez was indicted for Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer by a federal grand jury in March 2026.  He pleaded guilty on May 28, 2026.

On February 2, 2026, federal law enforcement officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, conducted a targeted enforcement operation regarding illegal immigration at a Rapid City residence.  Gonzalez-Ginez is an illegal alien unlawfully present in the United States. Gonzalez-Ginez was in the driver’s seat of a pickup truck with a trailer hitched to its rear at the residence. When federal agents activated their emergency lights and sirens on their vehicles, Gonzalez-Ginez quickly put the truck in reverse, ramming into a federal agent’s duty vehicle. Gonzalez-Ginez kept his truck in reverse, pushing the federal agent’s vehicle back approximately ten feet. Gonzalez-Ginez then fled on foot, escaping authorities.  Federal agents tracked his position again at the end of the month, where he unsuccessfully attempted to flee.

“This was outrageous and recklessly dangerous conduct by this lawless individual,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). 

This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removable Operations.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case. 

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ronald A. Parsons, Jr. announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a man from Las Vegas, Nevada, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.  The sentencing took place on August 31, 2026. 

Jeffrey Skannal, 67, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Skannal was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in February 2025.  He pleaded guilty on June 11, 2026.

For several months in 2024, Skannal served as a member of a California-based drug trafficking organization that brought large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from California to South Dakota and used short-term rental properties as bases of operation to distribute the drugs in and around Sioux Falls. Skannal participated in the conspiracy by driving rental cars loaded with drugs from California to Sioux Falls; assisting in packaging the drugs for sale; and accompanying other members of the organization on sales to sub-distributors. 

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).  Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.

Skannal must self-surrender no later than noon on Tuesday, December 1, 2026. 

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Chancellor, South Dakota, man convicted of Production Child Pornography.  The sentencing took place on August 31, 2026.

Marquis Lavelle Jordan, age 39, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.  Once released from federal prison, Jordan must register as a sex offender for 25 years.

Jordan was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2025 and pleaded guilty on June 1, 2026.

The conviction stemmed from incidents between June 16, 2024, and June 24, 2024, when Jordan supplied a runaway juvenile female with drugs and alcohol and forced her to perform oral sex on him while he recorded the act with his cell phone.

“This was a fitting sentence for this predator,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “I am so proud of the dedicated efforts of our federal prosecutors and the agents at Homeland Security Investigations for bringing him to justice.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.

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.

Jordan was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.  The sentencing took place on August 31, 2026. 

Angelo Mario Butler, Jr., 42, 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.

Butler was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2026 and pleaded guilty on June 22, 2026.

Butler’s conviction stems from a traffic stop on September 23, 2025, when he was found in possession of eight, individually-packaged baggies of methamphetamine and a handgun.  He admitted he intended to distribute the methamphetamine to others.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).  Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Sioux Falls Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.

Butler was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.  The sentencing took place on August 31, 2026. 

Mohamed Mohamud Hassan, 22, was sentenced to one year and two 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.

Hassan was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2026 and pleaded guilty on June 1, 2026.

Hassan was charged with possessing a firearm on October 2, 2025.  On that day, he was driving a vehicle stopped by law enforcement and had a handgun on the driver’s seat of the vehicle.  He was prohibited from possessing the firearm based on a prior felony conviction.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).  Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, South Dakota Highway Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.

Hassan was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Madison, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet.  The sentencing took place on August 31, 2026.

Lawrence Johnson, age 51, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.  Johnson must register as a sex offender upon release from federal prison.

Johnson was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2024 and pleaded guilty on June 1, 2026.

The conviction stemmed from an undercover chat operation conducted by the Des Moines County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office between September 15, 2024, and October 10, 2024, during which law enforcement posed online as underage child personas to catch individuals who seek sexual acts or sexually explicit materials from minors. 

In Johnson’s case, he was using his cell phone to access Facebook and befriended “Abby,” an undercover law enforcement officer who told Johnson she was 13 years old. Throughout the conversation, Johnson attempted to convince “Abby” to send him nude images of herself and travel to South Dakota for the purpose of having sex with him.  Johnson was arrested, and when interviewed by law enforcement, admitted his behavior and belief that “Abby” was a real 13-year-old girl from whom he was seeking sexually explicit images and sex. 

This case was investigated by the Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota DCI, and Homeland Security Investigations.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.

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.

Johnson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a federal grand jury has indicted three Sioux Falls, South Dakota, men for Conspiracy to Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering; Possession, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence; and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.  The indictment was filed in August 2026.

Nathan Carlos Hernandez, age 20, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on August 26, 2026, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.  Sebastian Michael Waters, age 19, appeared before Magistrate Judge Duffy on August 20, 2026, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment. Tino Sage Roubideaux, age 29, appeared before Magistrate Judge Duffy on August 10, 2026, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction for Conspiracy to Murder in Aid of Racketeering and for Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering and Aiding and Abetting is 10 years’ imprisonment.  The maximum penalty upon conviction for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering and Aiding and Abetting is 20 years’ imprisonment.  The maximum penalty upon conviction for Discharging a Firearm during and in relation to a Crime of Violence and Aiding and Abetting is a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ up to Life imprisonment, to be served consecutively to the crime of violence of attempted murder or assault with a dangerous weapon.  The maximum penalty upon conviction for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person is 15 years imprisonment.  The charges also carry a maximum fine of up to $250,000, a term of supervised release of up to five years following a term of imprisonment, a special assessment, forfeiture, and restitution.

According to the charging document, Hernandez, Waters, and Roubideaux were members of the Gangster Disciples (GD), a gang with members and associates located throughout Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and elsewhere.  The gang is alleged to have committed, attempted to commit, and conspired to commit acts of violence, including acts involving assault, as well as other crimes, including drug dealing and firearms trafficking.  Participation in criminal activity by a GD member (sometimes referred to as “work”), especially violence directed at persons perceived as a threat to the gang, increased the respect accorded to the member and could result in the member’s elevation and increased status within the gang.  One of the alleged purposes of the gang was to keep victims, other gang members, rivals, and community members in fear of the gang.

As alleged in the indictment, Hernandez, Waters, and Roubideaux conspired to murder a person, and on January 4, 2026, these defendants located the victim at a business in Sioux Falls and attempted  to murder him by shooting him more than one time.  Two firearms were used in the attack.  As gang members, these defendants sought to maintain or increase their respective position within the Gangster Disciples. 

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Sioux Falls Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case. 

All defendants were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial.  A trial date of October 26, 2026, has been set.

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person.  The sentencing took place on August 24, 2026. 

Tanner Standing Bear, 21, 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. Forfeiture was also ordered.

Standing Bear was indicted for two counts of Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in March 2026.  He pleaded guilty on May 28, 2026.

On March 3, 2026, Standing Bear was released from the Pennington County Jail. Within a few hours, Standing Bear was in possession of a .22 caliber pistol and fired several rounds near Knollwood Elementary school, causing teachers to quickly gather children that were outside for recess back into the school.  Standing Bear had fled by the time law enforcement arrived.  Law enforcement located Standing Bear the following day in possession of a second firearm and ammunition.  Standing Bear is prohibited from possession firearms and ammunition based on multiple prior felony convictions.

“This was a terrifying situation for all involved,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “I want to commend the staff of Knollwood Elementary for acting so quickly to keep everyone safe.”

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe.  Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges.  As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe.  PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies.  These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

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.

Standing Bear was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.