District of South Dakota

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Mexican National man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.

Reynaldo Garcia-Gonzalez, age 42, was sentenced to 22 years and five months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Garcia-Gonzalez was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2023 and pleaded guilty on December 9, 2024.

Between April and November 2022, Garcia-Gonzalez was part of a drug conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in South Dakota. Garcia-Gonzalez transported large quantities of methamphetamine from California to co-conspirators in Western South Dakota who then distributed the methamphetamine to others. During his involvement in the conspiracy, Garcia-Gonzalez was personally involved in the handling and distribution of multiple pounds of methamphetamine.

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

Garcia-Gonzalez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following sentencing.  

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced two St. Francis, South Dakota men in a case that involved charges of Arson and Third-Degree Burglary.

Michael Valandra, Jr., age 28, and Donald Aquallo, Jr., age 26, were indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024.

On July 24, 2024, Valandra pleaded guilty to Arson. On October 29, 2024, Valandra 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.

On December 2, 2024, Aquallo pleaded guilty to Third-Degree Burglary. On March 5, 2025, he was sentenced to one year and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crimes Victim Fund.

On the evening of January 5, 2024, Valandra and Aquallo broke into an unoccupied residence in St. Francis. Valandra intentionally set multiple fires within the residence, with the intent to burn it down.  The two men then fled the scene on foot. The owner of the residence noticed the fire and called 911, but the residence was completely destroyed. Multiple security cameras in the neighborhood recorded Valandra and Aquallo approaching the residence and then running away shortly before the fire was visible. The offense occurred within the Rosebud 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 Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.

Valandra and Aquallo were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service at the conclusion of their individual sentencings.

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child. The sentencing took place on March 4, 2025.

David Paxton, age 72, was sentenced to 12 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.

Paxton was indicted for by a federal grand jury in October 2022. He pleaded guilty on January 3, 2024.

The conviction stemmed from conduct that occurred between August 24, 2017, and July 31, 2021, in Todd County, South Dakota. On at least one occasion during that period, Paxton sexually molested a child who was then between the ages of five and eight years old. The offense occurred within the Rosebud 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 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 FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.

Paxton was allowed to self-report to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service by June 2, 2025.

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Mountain Lake, Minnesota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on February 24, 2025.

Francisco Javier Mendez, age 40, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Victims Fund.

Mendez was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in June 2024. He pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance on November 22, 2024.

On June 18, 2023, Mendez was the passenger in a vehicle involved in a traffic stop in Thayer County, Nebraska. During the traffic stop, officers discovered Mendez had a bag containing approximately 1,359 grams of methamphetamine concealed on his person. Later, Mendez told law enforcement he and the driver of the vehicle were returning to South Dakota after having purchased the methamphetamine from a source of supply in Wichita, Kansas, and were intending to distribute it on the reservations in South Dakota. Mendez stated that he and the driver had made the same trip 2-3 weeks earlier, during which they had purchased an additional three pounds of methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the FBI. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.

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

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Denver, Colorado, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on March 5, 2025.

Rikki Renee Barrowman, a/k/a Juree T Rials, age 34, was sentenced to 22 years and 11 months 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.

Barrowman was indicted for  Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in Febuary 2024. She pleaded guilty on December 5, 2024.

The conviction stemmed from a drug conspiracy beginning in January 2021 and continuing until July 2022. Barrowman was involved in an extensive conspiracy with several other individuals to distribute methamphetamine in and around western and central South Dakota, including within the Pine Ridge Sioux Indian Reservation, the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation, and the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation, as well as in Rapid City and Pierre. This conspiracy involved approximately 65 kilograms of methamphetamine. Barrowman was the source of supply of methamphetamine in Denver. She would supply various individuals who would then transport the methamphetamine to South Dakota where it was further distributed. As part of the conspiracy firearms were traded for narcotics.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.

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

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann sentenced a Kyle, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault by Beating, Striking, or Wounding. The sentencing took place on February 28, 2025.

Patrick Garrett, age 30, was sentenced to one year in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $25 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Garrett was indicted for the charge by a federal grand jury in September 2024. He pleaded guilty on December 13, 2024.

On April 9, 2024, Garrett was with his girlfriend, and their two young children. An argument took place inside a car between Garrett and his girlfriend. Once the car stopped, his girlfriend exited the vehicle and attempted to remove their children from the car. Garrett did not want her and their children to leave. Garrett exited the vehicle, restrained her, pushed her to the ground, and got on top of her. Garrett then forced her into the backseat of the car. She attempted to call 911 and Garrett took the phone and threw it out of the window of the car. During the drive, Garrett struck her on the legs with his fist and yelled at her. When the vehicle stopped again, the girlfriend was able to run for help and was transported to the hospital for bodily injuries from the assault. An individual in the area of the altercation called 911 and reported to dispatch that she observed a woman shouting for help from the rear of the vehicle.

This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.

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

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Abuse. The sentencing took place on February 10, 2025.

Kaleb Mills, a/k/a Kayleb Mills, age 31, was sentenced to 21 years and 10 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.

A federal grand jury indicted Mills in March 2024. He pleaded guilty on October 2, 2024.

The conviction stems from Mills sending a Facebook message to a 17-year-old female asking her if she wanted to hang out. She agreed and Mills found her a ride from her house to his house at Pine Ridge. That evening, he injected the female with methamphetamine. While she was under the influence of the methamphetamine and unable to consent to sexual activity, Mills engaged in sexual activity with her. Mills was previously convicted of a similar charge in 2013.

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 matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.

This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.

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

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

Frank Cotto, age 38, was sentenced on February 28, 2025, to 11 years and three months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.

Cotto was indicted by a federal grand jury in February of 2024, and pleaded guilty on December 11, 2024.

On November 30, 2023, Cotto was involved in a traffic stop following a trip to Colorado to obtain drugs. During the search of the vehicle law enforcement found over 2,000 fentanyl pills and six pounds of methamphetamine that was intended to be distributed in the Rapid City area. Officers also located a handgun in the door of the vehicle. Cotto is a prohibited person due to his use of methamphetamine and marijuana.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Meghan N. Dilges and Edward Tarbay prosecuted the case.

Cotto was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following his sentencing. 

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted William Henry Riese, age 34, of Rapid City, South Dakota, of Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet, Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography, and Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on February 27, 2025.

The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in custody and a maximum penalty of up to life in custody, and/or a $250,000 fine, up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $400 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

Riese was arrested and federally indicted in August of 2022, following the undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, targeting internet predators. Following multiple chats and sexually explicit text messages with a person Riese believed to be a 14-year-old girl, but who was in fact an undercover agent, Riese proceeded to negotiate a time and place he would meet the minor to engage in unlawful sex acts. When Riese went to the pre-determined location to meet the minor, he was instead met by law enforcement agents and placed under arrest.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.

A presentence investigation was ordered, and sentencing has been scheduled for May 30, 2025. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced an Oglala, South Dakota, man convicted of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child and Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child. The sentencing took place on February 20, 2025.

Oscar Hudspeth, Sr., age 54, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for each count to run concurrently, followed by five years of supervised release on each count to run concurrently, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200. Upon Hudspeth’s release from federal prison, he must register as a sex offender.

Hudspeth was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2023. He was found guilty following a federal jury trial in October 2024.

The conviction stemmed from disclosures in 2023 by a female juvenile who reported that Hudspeth had sexually abused her while her mother was married to him in the early to mid-2000s. The child was forensically interviewed and disclosed that Hudspeth touched her in a sexual manner on more than one occasion while he was her stepfather. The abuse occurred at their home in Oglala and while the child’s mother was working. At the time, Hudspeth worked as a law enforcement officer for the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety.

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 matter is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.

This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.

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

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Parmelee, South Dakota, man convicted of Domestic Assault by an Habitual Offender. The sentencing took place on February 20, 2025.

William Verlin Fool Bull, Sr., age 45, was sentenced to five 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. 

Fool Bull was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2024. He pleaded guilty on November 19, 2024.

By October 4, 2023, Fool Bull had been in a relationship with his girlfriend for approximately 10 years. They lived together with their two young children in Parmelee, which lies within the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On October 4, Fool Bull punched his girlfriend in the face several times and suffocated her in their home. The assault stopped when Fool Bull’s girlfriend kicked him in the knee and fled. Fool Bull has two prior convictions for domestic abuse.

This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.

This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.

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

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Celso Diaz-Martinez, age 52, of Mexico of Illegal Reentry After Deportation following a day-long jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on February 18, 2025.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of two years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, one year of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Diaz-Martinez was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2024.

Evidence at trial established that Diaz-Martinez is not a U.S. citizen and had been deported from the United States on four prior occasions. Diaz-Martinez was found in Meade County, South Dakota, in November of 2024. He had not obtained consent for re-entry into the United States from the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Meade County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Lindrooth and Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.

A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has not been set. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

SIOUX FALLS - U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell announced today that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota collected $3,496,288.47 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2024. Of this amount, $1,584,408.91 was collected in criminal actions and $1,911,879.56 was collected in civil actions. The District of South Dakota office worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices elsewhere in the country and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $775,964.79. Excluded from these totals are significant recoveries obtained at the end of Calendar Year 2024, such as the $12.7M settlement to resolve alleged False Claims Act violations relating to improper financial relationships between Dunes Surgical Hospital and two physician groups, and the $1.4M paid toward restitution in a pandemic fraud prosecution.

“Ensuring the collection of federal debt restores justice to victims of crime and reinforces the integrity of our governmental institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell.

In addition to filing 14 new garnishment actions, the Financial Litigation Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office closed 44 civil and criminal restitution cases where the federal debt or victims were paid in full. For example, in a civil case involving the Farm Service Agency (FSA), the Financial Litigation Unit recovered $52,561.75 from a borrower who sold calves in violation of his loan agreement with a local bank. In a criminal case arising from a wire fraud conviction, the same Financial Litigation Unit recovered $36,773.79 from an inheritance the defendant received while in custody, thus providing a substantial recovery to the victims of the defendant’s wire fraud. 

United States Attorney’s Offices, along with the Department of Justice’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the United States and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.

Cruz Mario Lara Larios, age 38, was sentenced on February 14, 2025, 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.

Lara Larios was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024. He pleaded guilty on November 22, 2024.

On March 17, 2024, Lara Larios was the driver and sole occupant of a vehicle on Interstate 90 near Spearfish, South Dakota. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Lara Larios’ vehicle for speeding. During the traffic stop officers located nearly 24 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in the vehicle, which Lara Larios had been transporting from Washington to South Dakota with the intention of distributing some or all of the methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the South Dakota Highway Patrol and 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 Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.

Lara Larios was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following the sentencing. 

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schrier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Distribution of a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on February 10, 2025.

Rickey Eugene Johnson, Jr., 34, was sentenced to six years and three 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.

Johnson was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Distribution of a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in May 2024. He pleaded guilty in November 2024.

On May 13, 2024, Johnson was driving a vehicle in Sioux Falls and was stopped by law enforcement and arrested. The officers found a 9 mm handgun in his vehicle. Johnson is prohibited from having firearms based on prior felony convictions. While on pre-trial release in the firearm case, Johnson sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant working with law enforcement on January 17, 2024.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.

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

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Production of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on February 7, 2025.

Len Homelvig, age 55, was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024 for three counts of Production of Child Pornography. As part of a plea agreement with the United States, he pleaded guilty to one count of Production of Child Pornography on October 25, 2024. On February 7, 2025 he was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100, and restitution in the amount of $8,000. Homelvig must register as a sex offender upon release from federal prison.

The conviction stemmed from an investigation that started in December 2023 when photographs of naked minor females were found on Homelvig’s phone. Upon closer inspection, the photographs and videos were that of the female foster children living in his home. To create the pornography, Homelvig slid his phone under the bathroom door while the minor females were getting dressed or would put his phone over the top of the shower curtain while the girls were showering. Homelvig was able to capture images and videos of the minor females’ private parts. Ultimately, the investigation discovered Homelvig perpetrated on five females living in the home, four of which were minors.

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 Sioux Falls Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.

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

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Camela C. Theeler, U.S. District Judge, has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, woman convicted of one count of Bank Fraud and six counts of Theft by a Credit Union Employee. The sentencing took place on February 10, 2025.

Ashley Viken, 41, was sentenced to 11 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $700 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $50,000 in restitution to Black Hills Federal Credit Union and $69,085.95 in restitution to CUMIS Insurance Society, Inc.

Viken was indicted on one count of Bank Fraud and 28 counts of Theft by a Credit Union Employee by a federal grand jury in August 2024. She pleaded guilty on November 26, 2024.

Between July 2022 and March 2024, Viken, while employed as an accountant with Black Hills Federal Credit Union (BHFCU), devised a scheme to defraud BHFCU for her own personal gain. As part of the scheme, Viken wrote 29 cashier’s checks totaling $119,085.95 on an account owned and controlled by BHFCU and fraudulently documented that she was reissuing cashier’s checks or refunding money to BHFCU members, when she instead was depositing the cashier’s checks into accounts she owned or controlled. After fraudulently taking the money, Viken then falsified bank documents to cover her theft and used the funds for her own personal benefit. 

This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.

Viken was ordered to self-surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service at a future date.   

SIOUX FALLS – Each year on February 11, more than one hundred countries around the world celebrate “Safer Internet Day.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota takes this opportunity to remind the community that the Internet is often used for the sexual exploitation of children. In 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, alongside local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, prosecuted more than 50 cases involving child exploitation and/or the production or receipt of child pornography originating on the Internet.

For example, in April 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office secured a conviction against Tyler Grimes, a 26-year-old man from Aldie, Virginia, who used the Internet-based application Omegle and his cellular phone to entice a minor to engage in sexually explicit activity. The minor was born in February 2014, making her seven years old at all relevant times. During his communications with the minor, who lived in Rapid City, South Dakota, Grimes repeatedly asked her for nude photos and videos of herself. She complied. After Grimes’ communications were discovered by the minor’s father, the minor was forensically interviewed. Later, many images and videos of child pornography between Grimes and the victim were located on the victim’s iPad. In August 2024, Grimes was sentenced to ten years in federal prison.

In June 2024, October 2024, and February 2025, Justin Preuschl, age 27, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was indicted for federal charges involving the exploitation of minors. The Indictment alleges that starting in December 2022 and continuing into 2024, Preuschl engaged in sexually explicit communications over the Internet with multiple juvenile female victims. The Indictment further alleges that Preuschl pretended to be a 15-year-old male, pressured the victims into sending him sexually explicit materials, and sent pictures of male genitals to the victims. Preuschl was employed as a teacher at Whittier Middle School in Sioux Falls at the time of many of the charged offenses.*

It is of vital importance that parents and guardians talk frequently and openly with children about responsible Internet use. It is also essential that the community understands the warning signs of cyberbullying and sextortion, including:

1. Sudden changes in behavior, such as becoming withdrawn, anxious, or secretive;
2. Abruptly deleting social media accounts or frequently creating new accounts;
3. Turning offs or hiding devices in the presence of a parent or other adult;
4. Clearing their web browser cache and/or history;
5. Unexplained money or gift cards; and
6. Spending less time with friends.

If you are concerned about particular online activity, please contact local law enforcement.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota and the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force are committed to ensuring a better Internet for all. Find great resources at: https://www.icactaskforce.org/Pages/InternetSafety.aspx and https://saferinternetday.us/

*The charges are merely accusations, and Preuschl is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Rapid City, South Dakota, man for Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography.

A federal grand jury indicted Jerry Lamont, age 60, in January 2025. He appeared before Daneta L. Wollmann on February 7, 2025, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction for receiving child pornography is a mandatory minimum term of five years up to 20 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, a mandatory minimum of five years up to life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for each count of conviction. Restitution may also be ordered.

Between January and December 2024, Lamont is alleged to have uploaded at least four pictures and 22 videos of child pornography into his Dropbox cloud storage account. The child pornography depicted children, some as young as toddlers, being sexually abused. 

The charges are merely accusations, and Lamont is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

The investigation is being conducted by the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox is prosecuting the case. 

Lamont was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. A trial date has been set for April 15, 2025.

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on February 3, 2025.

Arnold Dean Buck Elk Thunder, Jr., 57, was sentenced to 18 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.

Buck Elk Thunder was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in September 2024. He pleaded guilty on November 7, 2024.

Buck Elk Thunder was required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act as a result of a state felony conviction in May 2001 for Sexual Contact with a Child Under the Age of 16. On February 15, 2024, Buck Elk Thunder updated his registered address to a residence in Eagle Butte, on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. In May 2024, Buck Elk Thunder moved from his registered address in Eagle Butte to Rapid City, South Dakota, before returning to the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation and residing in Cherry Creek, South Dakota. Buck Elk Thunder knew he was required to update his registration within three business days of changing his residence but failed to do so after leaving Eagle Butte.

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 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.

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

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Victor Dominquez, age 57, of Rapid City, South Dakota, of one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor, five counts of Abusive Sexual Contact, and two counts of Felony Child Abuse following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on February 5, 2025.

The defendant faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 30 years up to life in custody. Each conviction carries the possible maximum of a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of up to life, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Dominquez was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024 for the listed charges. 

Evidence at trial established Dominquez sexually abused his biological daughter and stepdaughter for years while the family lived on the Pine Ridge Reservation between 2006 and 2012.  Dominquez used a variety of tactics against the children to prevent them from disclosing the sexual abuse. He created an environment of fear by beating the children in the home, resulting in a charge of child abuse. He also groomed the girls by showing them pornography beginning when they were very young. The sexual abuse and domestic violence persisted throughout the girls’ childhoods, and they ultimately disclosed the abuse when they were adults. 

This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.

A presentence investigation was ordered, and sentencing has been scheduled for April 14, 2025. Dominquez was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Lebanon, Indiana, man convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments. The sentencing took place on February 6, 2025.

Evan Frederick Light, age 22, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Light was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Victims Fund and will be ordered to pay restitution for no less than $37 million. A hearing will be set at a later date to determine restitution.

Light was indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments by a federal grand jury in May 2023. He pleaded guilty on September 30, 2024.

“From his mother’s basement in Indiana, Evan Light set out to steal millions of dollars in cryptocurrency, thereby destroying the retirement savings of hardworking, honest Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Ramsdell. “His 20-year sentence demonstrates the severity of his crime and its impact on the hundreds of victims whose lives have been devastated by his fraudulent activity. At sentencing, both the Court and the victims rightfully praised the tremendous work of the career professionals at the FBI, whose expertise and dogged commitment resulted in the identification of this perpetrator and the subsequent recovery of a substantial portion of the stolen cryptocurrency. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is equally grateful for its dedicated partners at the FBI, whose first-rate investigative work made it possible for our office to hold Evan Light accountable and bring him to justice.”

“Cybercrime is not a victimless offense — its impact is felt by hardworking Americans who suffer financial and emotional harm,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Today’s sentencing makes clear that cybercriminals who believe they can operate from the shadows without consequence are mistaken. The FBI, alongside our partners, will continue to investigate and dismantle these schemes to ensure justice is served and the public remains protected.”

According to court documents, in February of 2022, Light was involved in a cyber-intrusion involving an investment holdings company located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. During the cyber-intrusion, Light stole customers’ personal identifiable information (“PII”) and then stole cryptocurrency worth over $37 million from nearly 600 victims. He acted with one or more unidentified perpetrators.

Specifically, during the cyber intrusion, Light accessed the identity of a real client of the investment holdings company and unlawfully utilized that identity to infiltrate the investment holdings company’s computer servers. After successfully accessing the computer servers, he then exfiltrated from the servers the PII of hundreds of other clients, using this access to steal virtual currencies from the clients who held such assets with the investment holdings company.

The stolen cryptocurrency, under Light’s control, was then funneled to various locations throughout the world, including multiple mixing services and gambling websites to conceal his identity and to hide the virtual currency. Light’s conduct adversely affected victims all over the world, including South Dakota. As a result of his conduct, the total loss was approximately $37 million.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri.

Light was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to continue serving his sentence.

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Sisseton, South Dakota, man convicted of Child Abuse. The sentencing took place on January 27, 2025.

Nathaniel Yazzie, 24, was sentenced to one year and seven 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.

Yazzie was indicted for Child Abuse by a federal grand jury in September 2024. He pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024.

On July 29, 2024, Yazzie struck a three-year-old child multiple times in the face and head while the child was in his care. A concerned party heard the child being abused in Yazzie’s room and called law enforcement. Upon arrival at Yazzie’s residence, law enforcement found the child with a bloody lip and bruising on his face, including linear bruises consistent with being slapped. Yazzie was arrested on tribal charges, and the child was transported to the hospital for medical care.

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 Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.

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

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Clayton Fire Thunder, age 40, of Oglala, South Dakota, of Involuntary Manslaughter and two counts of False Statement following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on January 30, 2025.

The charges carry a maximum penalty of eight years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Fire Thunder was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024.

The conviction relates to the following facts presented at trial. At approximately 4:00 A.M. on September 15, 2022, Fire Thunder caught a ride to a man’s residence just a few miles east of Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Fire Thunder was intoxicated. The individual Fire Thunder was seeking to contact was a methamphetamine dealer. Fire Thunder had acquired a firearm and intended to exchange the firearm with the methamphetamine dealer. As Fire Thunder approached the front door of the residence, he heard noises coming from inside the residence. At some point while on the exterior of the residence, Fire Thunder mishandled the firearm, causing a bullet to discharge into the house. Fire Thunder heard a female screaming, and he left the residence. A later investigation revealed that the bullet had traveled through the siding of the residence and into the adjacent bedroom where the methamphetamine dealer and a female were present. The female was struck by the bullet on her left side slightly below her arm. She later succumbed to her injuries. During two separate interviews with FBI agents in October 2023 and May 2024, Fire Thunder made false statements about the firearm and his involvement in the killing.

This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.

A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has been set for April 25, 2025. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Norris, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on February 4, 2025.

Harold White Hat, age 41, was sentenced to one year and one month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

White Hat was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024. He pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024.

White Hat was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in 2022. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender and to update his registration within three business days of relocation or changing employment. In July of 2024, White Hat relocated from his registered address in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but he did not thereafter update his sex offender registration.  He was arrested in Todd County, South Dakota, on August 23, 2024.

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. Senior Litigation Counsel Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.

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

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Larceny. The sentencing took place on February 3, 2025.

Preston White Feather, age 28, was sentenced to one year in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. White Feather was further ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,888.56.

White Feather was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2024. He pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024.

The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in December 2023 within the boundaries of the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On December 9, 2023, White Feather stole merchandise from a convenience store in Mission, South Dakota. He was identified on surveillance video and was subsequently apprehended by law enforcement.

This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.

This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Senior Litigation Counsel Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.   

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

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Ellery Zephier, Sr., age 39, of Marty, South Dakota, of Kidnapping and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  The jury acquitted Zephier on two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. The verdict was returned on January 23, 2025.

The assault charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

The kidnapping charge carries a maximum penalty of any term of years, up to life in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Zephier was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2024.

Between July 20-25, 2024, Zephier kidnapped and held a woman against her will in his home in Marty. During that same time frame, Zephier assaulted the woman resulting in her sustaining serious bodily injury.

This case was investigated by the FBI and Yankton Sioux Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paige Petersen and Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.

A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for April 28, 2025. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death. The sentencing took place on January 27, 2025.

Johnny Allen Neighbors, age 25, was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Neighbors was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 4, 2024.

The conviction stemmed from an incident on January 21, 2023, when Neighbors intentionally distributed a pill containing fentanyl to an adult woman who ingested it and died. Fentanyl is a Schedule II controlled substance.

“This is yet another example of the lethal nature of fentanyl,” said Alison J. Ramsdell, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota. “In an environment where just two milligrams of fentanyl can lead to death, it is imperative that we educate our loved ones on the dangers of fentanyl so that we can avoid the tragic loss of life.”

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

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

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell 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 January 27, 2025.

Cylis Chipps, 21, was sentenced to two 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.

Chipps was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in October 2024. He pleaded guilty on November 20, 2024.

On September 15, 2024, Chipps was discovered by law enforcement to be in possession of a pistol along with items that tested positive for methamphetamine. Chipps had previously been convicted of the felony crimes of possession of a controlled substance and stealing a firearm. It is unlawful for a person who has been convicted of a felony to thereafter possess a firearm.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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

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

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. The sentencing took place on January 23, 2025.

Arlen Blackburn, 19, was sentenced to three 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.

Blackburn was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Possession of an Unregistered Firearm by a federal grand jury in July 2024. He pleaded guilty on November 1, 2024.

In April 2024, Rapid City Police Department responded to a shots-fired report in town. Law enforcement located a vehicle that matched the description of a vehicle associated with the shots-fired report. The driver of the vehicle initially fled but later stopped and law enforcement discovered Arlen Blackburn inside as a passenger. Law enforcement learned that Arlen Blackburn had discharged a sawed-off shotgun earlier that day. The sawed-off shotgun barrel was far less eighteen inches in length. It is unlawful to possess an unregistered shotgun whose barrel is less than eighteen inches in length.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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

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

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Clark Lake, Michigan, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on January 27, 2025.

Jamie Lee, age 40, was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Lee was indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2024. She pleaded guilty on November 13, 2024.

Beginning around March 2023, Lee began obtaining fentanyl along with her boyfriend, Jacob Denker. They picked up fentanyl in Colorado and then brought it to South Dakota. In Rapid City, Lee and her boyfriend had sub-distributors who further distributed fentanyl throughout the Rapid City area and the Pine Ridge Reservation. This activity continued through September 2023. Overall, Lee and co-conspirators were responsible for bringing over 400 grams of fentanyl to the area. Jacob Denker was previously sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. Co-defendant Eugene Giago is scheduled for trial on March 11, 2025.

This case was investigated by the FBI, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the Badlands Safe Trails Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward C. Tarbay prosecuted the case.

Lee was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following the sentencing. 

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Guatemala man who resided in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet. The sentencing took place on January 27, 2025.

Jorge Manuel Rodriguez-Marroquin, age 48, was sentenced to the mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and is required to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Rodriguez-Marroquin must register as a sex offender upon release from federal prison.

Rodriguez-Marroquin was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024. He pleaded guilty on November 12, 2024.

The conviction stemmed from an incident on March 9, 2024, when Rodriguez-Marroquin used Facebook to start a conversation with who he believed was a 15-year-old girl. He steered the conversation to sexual matters and enticed her to meet up with him for sexual activity. Unbeknownst to Rodriguez-Marroquin, the 15-year-old was an undercover law enforcement agent. Rodriguez-Marroquin was arrested when he showed up at the meet location.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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

Rodriguez-Marroquin was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Box Elder, South Dakota, man for Receipt of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on January 24, 2025.

Taylor Bloomgren, 23, 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. Bloomgren must forfeit two Xboxes and four cellular phones. He will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

A federal grand jury indicted Bloomgren in February 2024. He pleaded guilty on November 8, 2024.

Between 2021 and 2023, Bloomgren used his cellular phone, computer, and Xboxes to play online games on Discord. Bloomgren used the platform to communicate with a minor female who was 11 years old when Bloomgren started chatting with her. Bloomgren’s communications with the child resulted in Bloomgren having virtual sex with her. Bloomgren also exchanged sexually explicit photographs and masturbation videos with the child.

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 Box Elder Police Department and the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.

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

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death.

Curtis Cummings, age 39, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, restitution, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Cummings was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2023. He was found guilty following a three-day jury trial on November 7, 2024.

The conviction arose from a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl operating in Rapid City, South Dakota. Cummings and his wife, Katey McGruder, obtained large amounts of fentanyl from a source in Colorado on a weekly basis. They would bring the fentanyl back to their Rapid City home where it was further distributed by Christina Sanchez and other conspirators. On April 26, 2022, Cummings and McGruder provided fentanyl to Sanchez, who provided the fentanyl to Wyatt Nygaard. Nygaard then provided the fentanyl to the victim who overdosed and died in the parking lot of a convenience store within minutes of ingesting the fentanyl.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan Dilges and Edward Tarbay prosecuted the case. Nygaard was previously sentenced to over 23 years in federal prison. McGruder and Sanchez were previously sentenced to 20 years each of federal imprisonment.

Cummings was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following his sentencing.  

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Bismarck, North Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Tampering with a Witness. The sentencing took place on January 24, 2025.

Henry Damon Smith, Jr., 41, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release on the firearm charge, and three years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release on the tampering charge. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently. Smith was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Smith was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in December 2023. He pleaded guilty on November 4, 2024.

The case stemmed from a Rapid City Police Department officer finding Smith with a firearm in Rapid City. Smith is federally prohibited from owning and possessing firearms because he has previous felony convictions, including crimes of domestic violence and assault on law enforcement. After being arrested, Smith attempted to avoid the charges by convincing a witness to claim responsibility for the firearm.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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

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

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Martin, South Dakota, woman convicted of Larceny. The sentencing took place on January 24, 2025.

Madonna Peterson, age 59, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $150,000 in restitution to Wild Horse Butte Community Development Corporation (WHB).

Peterson was indicted on one count of Larceny and one count of Embezzlement and Theft from an Indian Tribal Organization by a federal grand jury in February 2023. She pleaded guilty on September 30, 2024.

Between 2014 and July 2021, while employed as the Chief Financial Officer for the Wild Horse Butte Community Development Corporation, Peterson wrote herself checks she was not entitled to and submitted fraudulent reimbursement requests to WHB for travel that she did not take and for supplies that she did not purchase. Peterson then used the stolen funds for personal gain, including gambling at various casinos.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.

Peterson was ordered to self-surrender on February 18, 2025, to begin serving her prison term.   

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted McKenzie Big Crow, age 20, of Porcupine, South Dakota, of Involuntary Manslaughter, the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, and Possession of an Unregistered Firearm following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on January 23, 2025.

The convictions relating to the shooting deaths each carry a maximum penalty of eight years’ imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The firearm conviction carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

A federal grand jury indicted Big Crow in June of 2024 for Second Degree Murder, Unborn Victims of Violence Act, Discharge of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence, and Possession of an Unregistered Firearm.

On August 20, 2023, near Porcupine, Big Crow was illegally in possession of a Savage Arms Model 62, semiautomatic rifle. The barrel had been sawed off, and the defendant taped components of an Airsoft rifle to the gun to make it appear like an AK-47. Big Crow claimed he put the rifle in a backpack and that the gun discharged when he bumped the bag against a door. The gunshot struck 19-year-old Ashton Provost in the chest, killing her and her unborn child within minutes. The gun was later found hidden under Big Crow’s bed. On the day of the shooting, Big Crow had drugs in his system including marijuana, cocaine, MDMA, and methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.

A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date has been set for April 25, 2025. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced three South Dakota men convicted of crimes related to a counterfeit currency operation. The sentencings took place on January 13, 2025.

Sonny Chao, age 36, of Oacoma, South Dakota, was sentenced to seven and a half years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Anthony Martinez, age 24, of Chamberlain, South Dakota, was sentenced to one month in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Gino Martinez, age 21, of Chamberlain, South Dakota, was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

All three defendants were ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution to the victims of this matter. The restitution was ordered to be paid jointly and severally.

The defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024. Chao pleaded guilty to Possession of Electronic Image for Counterfeiting Obligations or Securities and Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm on October 16, 2024. Anthony Martinez pleaded guilty to two counts of Passing Counterfeit U.S. Currency on October 17, 2024. Gino Martinez pleaded guilty to one count of Passing Counterfeit U.S. Currency on October 15, 2024.     

These convictions stemmed from Chao using electronic images on his computer to create counterfeit $100.00 Federal Reserve Notes that were passed at various businesses throughout central South Dakota between November 28, 2023, and March 17, 2024. Chao would soak genuine $1.00 Federal Reserve Notes in a solution that removed the ink and print the image of a $100.00 Federal Reserve Note on the blank genuine paper. Anthony and Gino Martinez assisted Chao by passing the counterfeit currency at a number of businesses. During the execution of a search warrant at Chao’s residence, law enforcement located two firearms in Chao’s bed. Chao was prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI, South Dakota Highway Patrol, South Dakota Fusion Center, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Chamberlain Police Department, Lyman County Sheriff’s Office, Brule County Sheriff’s Office, Jerauld County Sheriff’s Office, Winner Police Department, Mitchell Police Department, and the Pierre Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.

Chao and Anthony Martinez were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and Kidnapping. The sentencing took place on January 21, 2025.

Canku Martinez, age 22, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Martinez was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024. He was found guilty following a four-day jury trial in October of 2024.

In the early morning hours of October 29, 2023, Martinez agreed to give the juvenile victim a ride home from a party near Rosebud, South Dakota. Rather than give her a ride home, however, Martinez drove the victim to a secluded area outside of Rosebud and made sexual advances. When the victim rejected his advances, Martinez produced a knife. Martinez then forced the victim to engage in sexual activity. Martinez subsequently dropped the victim off at her residence and told her not to tell anyone what he had done. Martinez left the local area shortly thereafter. The offenses occurred within the Rosebud Indian Reservation.

“Bringing this defendant to justice is the result of tremendous cooperation between federal and tribal law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “Mr. Martinez engaged in a despicable course of conduct in this case and subjected the victim to unthinkable sexual violence.  The sentence he received today reflects the seriousness of his crimes.”

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 Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the FBI.  Senior Litigation Counsel Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.   

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

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. Circuit Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.

Benny Benson, age 22, was sentenced on January 3, 2025, to ten years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Benson was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2023, and pleaded guilty on October 16, 2024.

Benson’s conviction stemmed from his involvement in a large-scale fentanyl and cocaine distribution operation on the Pine Ridge Reservation. During the conspiracy Benson distributed over 900 grams of fentanyl and approximately 210 grams of cocaine on the Pine Ridge Reservation. He was a supervisor of the conspiracy and possessed a firearm during his involvement.

This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.

Benson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following his sentencing. 

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Kyle, South Dakota, man for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to a Spouse, Intimate Partner, or Dating Partner, Sexual Abuse, and Aggravated Sexual Abuse.

Vinnie Sonny Makes Good, age 36, was indicted in December 2024. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta L. Wollmann on January 8, 2025, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, up to life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

The charges relate to Makes Good assaulting his intimate dating partner on three sperate occasions between March 23 and October 12, 2023. These assaults resulted in the victim sustaining serious bodily injury. On February 4, 2024, Makes Good sexually assaulted a different female who was incapable of declining participation in or engaging in sexual intercourse.

The charges are merely accusations and Makes Good is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The investigation is being conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen is prosecuting the case. 

Makes Good was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has been set for March 18, 2025.

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol has sentenced a Guatemala man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet and Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Child. The charge of attempted enticement carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

Gerber David Santos-Gonzalez, age 26, was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024. He was found guilty following a jury trial in October 2024.

On January 13, 2025, Santos-Gonzalez was sentenced to 10 years and one month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200. Santos-Gonzalez is required to register as a sex offender once released from federal prison.

The conviction stemmed from an incident on March 12, 2024, when Santos-Gonzalez used Facebook and Facebook Messenger to convince a 15-year-old girl to have sex with him in exchange for $100. The 15-year-old girl was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. Santos-Gonzalez was arrested when he attempted to meet up with the girl in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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

Santos-Gonzalez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Volga, South Dakota, man convicted of a violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The sentencing took place on January 13, 2025.

Joe Hofer, age 52, was sentenced to one year of federal probation, a $1,200 fine, and ordered to pay a $25 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Hofer was indicted for a violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act by a federal grand jury in July 2024. He pleaded guilty on October 4, 2024.

Hofer is the Farm Boss for the Cambridge Hutterian Brethren (CHB) in Lake County, South Dakota. In November 2023, Hofer used CHB farm equipment to take down tress on property owned by CHB. One of the trees Hofer took down contained an active eagle nest, destroying the nest. Hofer did not have a permit to take down the eagle’s nest which is protected under federal law.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Porcupine, South Dakota, man and a Rushville, Nebraska, woman for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, 22 counts of Wire Fraud, and seven counts of Money Laundering.

Patrick Ross, age 55, and Buffy Redfish, age 56, were indicted in December 2024. Ross appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollman on January 8, 2025, and Redfish appeared before Judge Wollman on January 13, 2025. Both pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in custody and/or a $500,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund on each count. Restitution may also be ordered.

Between May 2017 and May 2024, while Redfish was working for the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO), she and Ross, working together, developed a scheme to defraud the Oglala Sioux Tribe by diverting TERO fee checks totaling more than $4.7 million belonging to the Oglala Sioux Tribe and depositing the checks into Ross’s bank account. Ross and Redfish then split the embezzled funds between themselves and used the funds for their own personal benefit, including buying homes and vehicles. Ross is a citizen of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. Redfish is a citizen of the Gila Tribe in Arizona.

The charges are merely an accusation and Ross and Redfish are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The investigation is being conducted by Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson is prosecuting the case. 

Ross and Redfish were released on bond pending trial. A trial date has been scheduled for March 25, 2025.

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a St. Francis, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of Child Pornography.  The sentencing took place on January 13, 2025.

Clyde Chasing Hawk, a/k/a Clyde Clairmont, age 24, was sentenced to five years and three 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. Chasing Hawk was further ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,000.

Chasing Hawk was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 15, 2024.

Between April 2023 and November 2023, Chasing Hawk searched for and downloaded child pornography via the internet. He saved multiple images and videos of child pornography to his Google and Yahoo accounts and to his electronic devices. Law enforcement began investigating Chasing Hawk in June of 2023, based on CyberTips received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which indicated Chasing Hawk was using his Google and Yahoo accounts to store child pornography. In November of 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Chasing Hawk’s residence in St. Francis, seizing multiple electronic devices that contained child pornography. Chasing Hawk will forfeit ownership of these devices to the United States.

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 Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) – Office of Justice Services Missing and Murdered Unit, the BIA Division of Drug Enforcement, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, and the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Senior Litigation Counsel Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.   

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

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number. The sentencing took place on January 13, 2025.

Todd Alan Peltier, 31, was sentenced to five 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.

Peltier was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number by a federal grand jury in July 2024. He pleaded guilty to Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number in October 2024.

On May 23, 2024, detectives with the Sioux Falls Police Department observed Peltier enter a vehicle and drive to a casino on West 41st Street in Sioux Falls. At the time, Peltier was on parole and had an active warrant for his arrest. Detectives entered the casino and placed Peltier under arrest. A search incident to arrest revealed a bag of methamphetamine in Peltier’s pants pocket. Detectives completed a search of Peltier’s vehicle following his arrest and located a pistol bearing an obliterated serial number under the driver’s seat. Peltier later admitted to law enforcement that he knowingly possessed the firearm.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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

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

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Jayden Debevec, age 29, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on Friday, January 10, 2025.

Debevec is facing a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and a possible maximum of life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine. After his release from prison, he will be placed on supervised release for a minimum term of five years and a possible maximum term of up to life. He must also pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  

Debevec was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2023.

Debevec started a conversation with a person he believed was a 15-year-old girl on an online dating site. The conversation turned sexual and, using sometimes explicit language, he asked the 15-year-old girl to meet up hoping to have a sexual encounter with her. Debevec arrived at the meet location where he was arrested by law enforcement. Debevec had actually been chatting with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 15-year-old girl. 

This case was brought as part of an undercover chat operation designed to identify individuals in the community who are interested in having sex with minors. The 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.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Sioux Falls Police Department, Watertown Police Department, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth E. Ebert-Webb and Beau Blouin prosecuted the case.

A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has not been set. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schrier has sentenced a Worthington, Minnesota, man convicted of Escape from Custody. The sentencing took place on January 13, 2025.

Ray Rosalez, 41, was sentenced to to 17 months in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Rosalez was indicted for Escape from Custody by a federal grand jury in February 2024. He pleaded guilty in November 2024.

In November 2022, Rosalez was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. He was sentenced to four years and three months in custody. On January 28, 2024, Rosalez was in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons and residing at a residential reentry center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, when he left the facility without permission. On May 30, 2024, members of the Sioux Falls Police Department Violent Crimes Unit located Rosalez in the Sioux Falls area and placed him under arrest.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Beau J. Blouin prosecuted the case.

Rosalez was immediately remanded to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. 

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet. The sentencing took place on January 6, 2025.

Kalvin Michael Frankus, age 37, 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. Once released from federal prison, Frankus must register as a sex offender.

Frankus was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024. He pleaded guilty on October 16, 2024.

The conviction stemmed from an incident on March 10, 2024, when Frankus attempted to have a sexual encounter with a 15-year-old female, who turned out to be an undercover law enforcement officer posing as the teenager. Frankus drove to the agreed location and was arrested.

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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.

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

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, woman, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.

Alisa See, age 39, was sentenced to 22 ½  years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

See was indicted by a federal grand jury in July of 2023 and pleaded guilty on October 25, 2024.

Between 2022 and 2023, See was part of a drug conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in South Dakota. See worked with another co-conspirator to transport methamphetamine from California to western South Dakota. The two then distributed the methamphetamine to others for further redistribution.

“See was personally involved in the distribution of at least 30 pounds of methamphetamine in western South Dakota,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “We are grateful to our law enforcement partners at UNET for investigating and exposing this drug conspiracy, which permitted the U.S. Attorney’s Office to seek a federal conviction and impactful sentence.”

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

See was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following sentencing.