District of South Dakota

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota man, convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Carjacking and Use and Brandishing of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence. The sentencing took place on November 30, 2023, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Jose Uribe, age 26, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $200 as a statutorily required special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Uribe was indicted for Carjacking, Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence by a federal grand jury in August of 2022. He pleaded guilty on September 11, 2023.

According to court documents, on or about the 31st day of May of 2022, Uribe, working with two others, was given a ride by another individual. During the ride, Uribe pointed a shotgun at that person and demanded the person get out of the car. Uribe and the other two conspirators then drove away in the car, later fleeing from law enforcement in the vehicle and on foot. 

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 Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson prosecuted the case.

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

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Armando Cheshier, age 25, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death and two counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Sioux Fall. The verdict was returned on November 22, 2023.

The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in custody and/or a $1,000,000 fine, life on supervised release, and a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. 

Cheshier was indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2022. 

Cheshier distributed fentanyl and Xanax to the victim in this case, which ultimately resulted in her death, due to the fatal amounts of fentanyl in her system. The defendant and victim in this case were friends and had spent the night together, after both ingested multiple illegal narcotic substances. The defendant awoke the next day to find the victim lying lifeless in his bed. After traveling across town to obtain Narcan to administer to the victim, the authorities were then called, and pronounced the victim deceased at the scene. An interview of the defendant following the incident revealed that he had not only provided the fentanyl that caused the overdose, but that he had also ingested the remaining pills prior to authorities arriving at the scene.    

“According to lab testing, seven out of every ten fentanyl pills contain a lethal dose of this deadly controlled substance,” said Alison J. Ramsdell, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota. “So when Armando Cheshire provided the victim a fentanyl pill, he essentially gave her a death sentence. We are fortunate to have law enforcement partners such as the Drug Enforcement Administration  and the Sioux Falls Police Department that will investigate these difficult cases and help us hold accountable those who carelessly distribute this lethal drug. This prosecution also serves as a stark reminder that as a community, it is imperative we educate our loved ones on the dangers of fentanyl so that we can avoid the tragic loss of young lives.”   

“Armando Cheshire faces countless hours in federal prison to reflect on the tragic consequences that came as a result of his actions,” DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Justin C. King said. “Two milligrams of fentanyl, small enough to fit on the tip of a pencil, is considered potentially lethal. We need to raise awareness of the threat this drug poses to our communities if we want to prevent futures deaths such as this one from occurring.”

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

A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date has been set for February 9, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. The defendant was 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 an Allen, South Dakota, man convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on November 29, 2023.

Llewellyn John Running Hawk, age 48, was sentenced to two years and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $4,000 in restitution, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Additional restitution may apply.

Running Hawk was indicted by a federal grand jury in January of 2023. He pleaded guilty on September 6, 2023.

The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on November 19, 2022, in Todd County, South Dakota. On that date, Running Hawk had been consuming alcoholic beverages, and was driving a motor vehicle eastbound on US Highway 18. The victim, an adult female, was riding in the front passenger seat of the vehicle. As Running Hawk approached a curve at a high rate of speed, he lost control of the vehicle and left the roadway. The vehicle rolled multiple times, causing the victim to be ejected from the vehicle. The victim died as a result of injuries suffered in the wreck.

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

This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the FBI.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.   

Running Hawk was ordered to self-surrender to the custody of the Bureau of Prisons at a date to be set later.

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl. The sentencing took place on November 29, 2023.

John Hansen, age 64, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Hansen was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl by a federal grand jury in March of 2023. He pleaded guilty on September 13, 2023.

Hansen and his daughter, Aubrey, had a source for fentanyl pills in Colorado. On multiple occasions between the summer of 2022 and January of 2023, they traveled to Colorado and brought back thousands of pills, which were then sold to people in Rapid City for use or for further distribution. Overall, Hansen was responsible for bringing between 400 grams and 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl to the Rapid City area. Hansen had several other people assisting him, including his daughter. Each fentanyl pill is approximately 1/10th of a gram of fentanyl and one pill is approximately two dosage units.

Aubrey Hansen was previously sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for her role in the conspiracy.

This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, which is a local drug task force 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 Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case.

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

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on November 28, 2023.

Ahmed Belhage, 27, 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.

Belhage was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in June of 2023. He pleaded guilty on August 11, 2023.

In April of 2023, in Rapid City, Belhage, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, was found in possession of a Savage Arms semi-automatic rifle, which was found after Belhage came into contact with law enforcement.

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

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

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

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Second-Degree Murder. The sentencing took place on November 28, 2023.

Trent Brewer, age 21, was sentenced to 16 and a half 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.

Brewer was indicted for Second Degree Murder and Discharge of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence by a federal grand jury in April of 2023. He pleaded guilty on August 28, 2023.

The conviction stems from Brewer shooting another man after a verbal argument on April 1, 2023, in Pine Ridge. The victim succumbed to his injuries.

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

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

Brewer 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 Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Kingman, Arizona, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on November 27, 2023.

Rusty James Driscoll, 39, was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Driscoll was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in March of 2022. He was found guilty by a federal jury on August 4, 2023.

In 2022, Driscoll, and at least 17 other co-conspirators, who were all previously indicted and sentenced, were involved in a large-scale multiple pound methamphetamine conspiracy stretching from Mexico, Arizona, Louisiana, then finally making its way to South Dakota. Driscoll had a direct connection to import methamphetamine from a source in Mexico. He coordinated shipments of methamphetamine to co-conspirators in South Dakota and Louisiana, who then distributed it to others in those areas. 

Agents identified the South Dakota cell leader of this organization as Christopher Daniels, who previously received a sentence of 30 years for his involvement in the conspiracy. Daniels obtained methamphetamine from Sean Gross, who lived in Arizona and sourced methamphetamine from Driscoll. Gross was sentenced to 26 years and eight months in prison for his involvement.  In addition to Daniels in South Dakota, Gross and Driscoll also sent multiple pounds of methamphetamine to Jessica Johnson in Louisiana. Johnson received a sentence of 14 years for her involvement. Agents determined that Daniels was personally responsible for distributing at least 120 pounds of methamphetamine in South Dakota. Driscoll played a lead role in this conspiracy and was responsible for directing the quantities, prices, payments, and shipments of multiple multi-pound deliveries of methamphetamine to South Dakota and elsewhere. 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS, SD Division of Criminal Investigation, SD Highway Patrol, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

Driscoll 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 Lawrence L. Piersol has sentenced a Wagner, South Dakota, woman convicted of six counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and two counts of Felony Child Abuse. The sentencing took place on November 27, 2023.

Tina Sully, age 53, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $800.

Sully was indicted by a federal grand jury in February of 2022. She was found guilty of six counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and two counts of Felony Child Abuse, following a four-day jury trial in federal district court in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on September 15, 2023.

Sully was a foster and adoptive mother to several children. The jury convicted her of unlawfully assaulting and cruelly punishing two of them, including beating them with belts and hangers and withholding food from them for days, between the years of 2003 and 2021.

This case was investigated by the FBI, Yankton Sioux Law Enforcement, and the Charles Mix County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann M. Hoffman and Elizabeth Ebert prosecuted the case.

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

Sully 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. Chief District Judge Roberto Lange has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine. The sentencing took place on November 27, 2023.

Carlie Wolf, 25, 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.

Wolf was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine by a federal grand jury in April of 2023. She pleaded guilty on September 15, 2023.

Based on a previous relationship, Wolf had a source for obtaining cocaine in Colorado. Beginning late in 2022, Wolf began travelling to Colorado to purchase ounces of cocaine, which she then brought back to Rapid City. Wolf then sold the cocaine in Rapid City to others for use and further distribution. Wolf did this on at least four occasions which amounted to at least 700 grams of cocaine.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case.

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

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Receipt of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on November 27, 2023.

Michael Douglas McKillip, 33, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for the Sexual Exploitation conviction to run consecutively to five years in federal prison for the Child Pornography conviction, followed by seven years of supervised released. McKillip was also ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution, a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

McKillip was indicted for Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography by a federal grand jury in April of 2022. He pleaded guilty on August 23, 2023.

McKillip was federally indicted following a Cybertip from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children in relation to a download of suspected child pornography on McKillip’s Microsoft account. The Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce executed a search warrant on McKillip’s residence and located multiple electronic storage devices. A forensic examination of those devices found thousands of images of child pornography, as well as multiple minors McKillip had direct communications with and from whom he sought images of child pornography.

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

This case was investigated by the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.

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

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on November 27, 2023.

Eric Jaramillo, 35, was sentenced to 15 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.

Jaramillo was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in July of 2021. He pleaded guilty on August 18, 2023.

Between March and June of 2021, in Rapid City, Jaramillo conspired with two other individuals to distribute methamphetamine by assisting in coordinating large quantities to be brought from California to South Dakota for further distribution.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.

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

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on November 27, 2023.

Gassem Belhage, 26, was sentenced to three years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Belhage was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in June 2023. He pleaded guilty on August 21, 2023.

In April of 2023, in Rapid City, Belhage, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, was found in possession of a loaded Sturm, Ruger & Company Incorporated, model AR-556 caliber, semi-automatic rifle, along with two loaded 26 round magazines for the rifle, which were found after Belhage came into contact with law enforcement during a traffic stop.

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

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

Belhage 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 Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a South Dakota man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on November 20, 2023, in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

Marcus Lance Dumarce, age 54, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison, followed by five  years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $100 as a statutorily required special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Dumarce was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in February of 2023. He pleaded guilty on August 28, 2023.

According to court documents, Dumarce was convicted in federal court of Abusive Sexual Contact of a Minor in April of 2003. Between December 20, 2018, and June 15, 2023, Dumarce left the residence at which he had been registered in Roberts County, South Dakota, and knowingly failed to register as a sex offender. He is required to register for life due to the previous conviction. 

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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.

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

ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Jay Adams, Jr., age 57, of Sisseton, South Dakota, appeared before U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann on November 20, 2023, and pleaded guilty to a Superseding Information that charged him with Voluntary Manslaughter.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, and a $50 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

In 1992, in Roberts County, Adams killed a minor victim, in the heat of passion, by inflicting fatal blunt force trauma to her head. Adams has signed documents admitting he used violent force to inflict the injury upon the victim in the early morning hours of September 4, 1992. Adams did not seek medical attention for the victim and later the same day discovered she had died. Adams feigned ignorance as to the cause of the victim’s injury. Earlier this year, new evidence came to light which implicated Adams in the death of the victim.

“Cold cases are not closed cases in the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Alison J. Ramsdell, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota. “As this tragic case demonstrates, no matter how long it takes, we remain committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to bring the perpetrators of these heinous crimes to justice. It is our hope that this work offers some measure of closure to victims’ families and helps honor the sacred memory of missing and murdered Indigenous persons.”

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

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

The investigation was conducted by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Tribal Police Department and the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Great Plains Region Troy R.
Morley.

A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for June 3, 2024, in Aberdeen
South Dakota. Adams was ordered to self-surrender to U.S. Marshals custody by 2:00 p.m. on
December 11, 2023.

ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man convicted of Simple Assault.  The sentencing took place on November 20, 2023.

Martin Tre Black Cloud, age 20, was sentenced to six months in federal prison and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $10.

Black Cloud was indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2022. He was convicted of Simple Assault following a two-day jury trial on August 8, 2023.

The evidence at trial showed that Black Cloud was drinking alcohol with his stepfather on June 22, 2022, in McIntosh, South Dakota. Black Cloud quarreled with his stepfather and assaulted him, resulting in his stepfather’s hospitalization. Black Cloud then apologized to his stepfather, injured himself with a knife, and fled. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced an Aberdeen, South Dakota, man convicted of Tampering with a Witness. The sentencing took place on November 20, 2023, in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

Jordan Anthony Rondell, age 36, was sentenced to three years in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $100 as a statutorily required special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Rondell was indicted for Tampering with a Witness by a federal grand jury in March of 2023. He pleaded guilty to on August 8, 2023.

According to court documents, between January 26, 2023, and continuing through February 6, 2023, Rondell intentionally harassed another person in an effort to prevent and dissuade that person from assisting in a federal court proceeding. During the relevant time period of this case, Rondell was on federal supervised release, following his federal conviction of conspiracy to steal from a tribally owned casino. In late January of 2023, Rondell filed a motion seeking release to the custody of his spouse to address a medical issue. At a hearing on February 1, 2023, the Court heard testimony from Rondell’s spouse. His spouse’s testimony was, in material part, false, and Rondell intentionally and corruptly harassed his spouse to offer that false testimony in an effort to get him released from federal custody. 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.

Rondell 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 Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a West Fargo, North Dakota, woman and a Raleigh, North Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencings took place on November 14, 2023.

Kerstyn Lanz, age 31, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Monica Yellow Bird, age 40, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

The convictions stemmed from a drug conspiracy in December of 2022 wherein Lanz and Yellow Bird knowingly and intentionally agreed with others to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Lanz, Yellow Bird, and their two co-defendants were arrested while at a gas station in Oacoma, South Dakota. Their vehicles were searched and approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine was found in vacuum sealed bags wrapped as Christmas presents. The defendants were transporting the methamphetamine from a source in Las Vegas, Nevada, to North Dakota for further distribution. Methamphetamine is a Schedule II controlled substance.

Co-defendant Abdul Vann was previously sentenced to thirteen years in prison, and co-defendant Samuel Vann was previously sentenced to one year in prison.

This case was investigated by the South Dakota Highway Patrol and the Northern Plains Safe Trains Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.

Lanz and Yellow Bird were allowed to self-report on November 27, 2023.

PIERRE- United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced three South Dakota men convicted of Theft of Firearms from Federal Firearm Licensee and Third-Degree Burglary. The sentencings took place on October 10, 2023, and November 15, 2023, respectively.

Jaylen Bleu Ducheneaux, a/k/a Jaylen Red Bear, age 24, of Eagle Butte, South Dakota, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, restitution, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.

Weston Reid Clausen, age 24, of Dupree, South Dakota, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, restitution, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.

Ford Whitley Traversie, age 23, of Eagle Butte, was sentenced to three years and four months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.

All three defendants were ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $20,188 to the victim of this matter, and the restitution was ordered to be paid joint and several between the co-defendants.

Clausen, Ducheneaux, and Traversie were indicted by a federal grand jury in January of 2023. Traversie pleaded guilty on June 14, 2023; Ducheneaux pleaded guilty on August 3, 2023; and Clausen pleaded guilty on August 21, 2023.

The convictions stemmed from an incident that occurred during the weekend of August 13 to 15, 2022, when the defendants burglarized Reloaders Corner, a licensed federal firearm retailer in Isabel, South Dakota. Ducheneaux and Clausen planned the burglary while Traversie served as a lookout during the burglary. The three men stole 105 firearms. Some of the firearms were then illegally trafficked to other individuals. The stolen firearms have been recovered in various communities in South Dakota and throughout the Midwest.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, and the Dewey County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.

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.

Clausen, Ducheneaux, and Traversie were 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 Todd County, South Dakota man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on November 14, 2023.

Julian One Star, age 36, was sentenced to six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

One Star was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in June of 2023. He pleaded guilty on August 10, 2023.

In October of 2022, One Star was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in Rosebud Sioux Tribal Court. This conviction requires One Star to comply with the requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, including updating his registration within three business days of a change in residence address, employment status, or student status. Prior to One Star completing his jail sentence, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Sex Offender and Notification Act Compliance Officers met with One Star to complete his initial registration. One Star failed to update his registration after being released from custody on November 18, 2022, and his whereabouts were unknown until he was arrested on June 30, 2023.

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

This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler prosecuted the case.

One Star 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 Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on November 13, 2023, in Sioux Falls.

Elijah Darrell Lane, age 21, was sentenced to one year and six months federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $100 as a statutorily required special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Lane was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in June of 2023. He pleaded guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person on August 30, 2023.

According to court documents, on November 29, 2022, Lane, a convicted felon, knowingly had possession of a firearm. 

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

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Sam Boyd, age 35, of Rapid City, South Dakota, of Conspiracy to Distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Felon in Possession of Ammunition following a four-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City. The verdict was returned on November 2, 2023.

The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in custody and a maximum penalty of life in custody and a $10,000,000 fine, five years up to life of supervised release, and a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. 

Boyd was indicted by a federal grand jury in February of 2022. 

In the fall of 2020, Boyd began obtaining methamphetamine from a co-conspirator in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The methamphetamine was either mailed or transported to western South Dakota on multiple occasions. Boyd then distributed the methamphetamine to others for use and to further sell. Throughout the conspiracy, Boyd routinely possessed multiple firearms and ammunition, despite being legally prohibited from doing so due to a prior felony conviction.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, which is  local drug task force 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 Kathryn N. Rich 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.

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Jeremy Duane Young, age 28, of Parmelee, South Dakota, has been convicted following two separate jury trials. Young was convicted of Possession of Unregistered Firearm and Possession of Firearm by a Prohibited Person following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on October 31, 2023. Young was then convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Pierre, South Dakota. That verdict was returned on November 3, 2023.

The Firearm charges each carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. 

The Assaulting a Federal Officer charge carries 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. 

Young was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2023 on the firearm offenses and in April of 2023 on the assault offense.   

In May of 2022, in the Soldier Creek community within the Rosebud Reservation, Young, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, was found in possession of a short-barrel 12-gauge shotgun, which was found after Young came into contact with law enforcement following a traffic stop. The short shotgun was not registered to Young in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by law. As part of the investigation Young admitted to law enforcement that he and another individual were on their way to Sioux Falls on a drug run to pick up methamphetamine.

In March of 2023, in the Soldier Creek community within the Rosebud Reservation, Young assaulted a Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Officer. The officer had been called to the community over a concern of a running vehicle blocking the roadway, and determined Young was passed out in the driver’s seat. When the officer contacted Young to get out of the vehicle, Young refused to exit, became argumentative, combative, and engaged in a physical struggle with the officer. Young then punched the officer in the face and fled on foot. Young was located and arrested an hour later.

The investigation into Young 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.

These cases were investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan N. Dilges and Brian Murphy prosecuted the case.

A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date was set for January 29, 2024. The defendant was 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 Mission, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on November 13, 2023.

Georgette Long Warrior, age 46, was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Long Warrior was indicted by a federal grand jury in January of 2023. She pleaded guilty on August 7, 2023.

The conviction stemmed from a drug conspiracy beginning in September of 2021 and continuing until January of 2023, when Long Warrior was involved with several other individuals to distribute methamphetamine in and around the central South Dakota area, including on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. Long Warrior received pound quantities of methamphetamine from a source in California and then distributed the methamphetamine to various individuals on the reservation.  Methamphetamine is a Schedule II controlled substance.

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.

Long Warrior 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 Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on November 13, 2023.

Anthony Little Hoop, age 33, was sentenced to 22 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.

Little Hoop was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in May of 2023. He pleaded guilty on August 17, 2023.

Little Hoop was convicted of Sexual Abuse in 2012. As a result of this conviction, he his required to comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, including updating his registration within three business days of a change in residence address, employment status, or student status. Little Hoop last registered with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Sex Offender Registry Office on July 29, 2022, providing an address in Mission. Little Hoop left his registered address in November and did not update his registration after moving. His whereabouts were unknown until he was arrested in an abandoned apartment in Mission.

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

This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler prosecuted the case.

Little Hoop 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 Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on November 13, 2023.

Wilson Brave Heart, age 51, was sentenced to 13 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. 

Brave Heart was indicted by a federal grand jury in April of 2023.  He was found guilty following a jury trial that concluded on August 16, 2023.

On March 11, 2023, Brave Heart was arrested by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services officers and charged with domestic abuse. He was then transported by an officer to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Adult Correctional Facility. While he was completing intake processing at the Adult Correctional Facility, Brave Heart spit in the face of the arresting officer. 

This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.

Brave Heart 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 Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault of an Intimate Partner by Strangulation and Suffocation. The sentencing took place on November 6, 2023.

Bobbylee Hill, age 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.

Hill was indicted for Assault of an Intimate Partner by Strangulation and Suffocation by a federal grand jury in March of 2023. He pleaded guilty on August 3, 2023.

Hill and the victim began dating in January of 2022 and were residing together in Mission in November of 2022. On the evening of November 24, Hill became upset after going through the victim’s phone. The verbal argument escalated to a physical confrontation and Hill threw the victim onto a bed. Hill positioned himself on top of the victim, placed both of his hands on the victim’s neck, and applied pressure. The victim was unable to talk and had difficulty breathing as Hill applied pressure. Hill stopped after the victim waved her arms. The victim fled from the residence and called 911 after Hill assaulted her a second time.    

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

This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler prosecuted the case.

Hill 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 Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Kern Valley, California, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments. The sentencing took place on November 13, 2023.

Terry Morris, Jr., age 41, was sentenced on a Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance charge to 33 years and four months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was then sentenced on the Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments charge to 22 years in federal prison. Both sentences will run concurrently with one another but consecutive to his sentence in California. He was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. 

Morris was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments by a federal grand jury in June of 2023. He pleaded guilty on August 30, 2023.

Morris created and orchestrated a drug trafficking organization from his prison cell within the Kern Valley State Prison in California, where he was incarcerated for murder. Using a cell phone which had been smuggled in, Morris communicated by call, text, and social media with members of his family, along with numerous other co-defendants from both South Dakota and California, in order to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Sioux Falls, South Dakota area. Morris is attributed with distributing at least 200 pounds of methamphetamine and 80,000 fentanyl pills during his involvement in this conspiracy, drugs that were known to be sourced from Mexican cartels.

“This is one of two major federal drug sentences handed down this week in South Dakota,” said Alison J. Ramsdell, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota. “In this instance, the defendant orchestrated the movement of enormous amounts of deadly substances into our communities, leaving a trail of devastation without ever stepping foot in South Dakota himself. Although independently noteworthy, collectively, these sentences should send a resounding message to drug traffickers—targeting South Dakota communities for the sale of methamphetamine and fentanyl will result in grave personal consequences. As this case demonstrates, drug traffickers will be relentlessly pursued by local and federal law enforcement and aggressively prosecuted in federal court.”

Others that have been charged as part of this conspiracy include Rigoberto Hernandez, age 32, of Los Angeles, California, who was sentenced on May 1, 2023, to 11 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release; Reginald Davis, age 41, of Los Angeles, California, who was sentenced on May 26, 2023, to 17 years and one month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release; Kessara Mikkelson, age 35, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, who was sentenced on October 30, 2023, to 19 years and seven months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release; and Asia Gunhammer, age 31, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, who was sentenced on October 30, 2023, to 10 years and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.  All defendants were also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  The case against Terry Morris, III, who is also facing charges of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, is still pending in the District of South Dakota.        

This case was investigated by the FBI, Sioux Falls Police Department, and the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

Morris, Jr. was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Lower Brule, South Dakota, man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on July 20, 2023, and the sentencing took place on November 6, 2023.

Joseph Thompson, Sr., age 32, was sentenced to 10 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  Thompson was also ordered to pay $3,550 in restitution to the victim’s family.

Thompson was indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2023 and was convicted in July of 2023. 

The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on March 25, 2023, in Lower Brule. Thompson was at the home of an acquaintance when he heard a disturbance outside the residence. Thompson left the residence, walked around the corner of the home, and saw a man standing near the home.  Thompson produced a knife and stabbed the man five times, piercing his heart. There was no indication that the other man was displaying a weapon when Thompson fatally stabbed him.

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

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Services - Crow Creek Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.

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

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Opposing a Federal Officer in Pierre, South Dakota. The sentencing took place on November 6, 2023.

Derek Kennedy, age 43, was sentenced to 45 days in federal prison and eight months of home confinement, followed by three years of supervised release.  Kennedy was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. 

Kennedy was indicted by a federal grand jury in January of 2023 and pled guilty in August of 2023. 

The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on July 12, 2022, in Lower Brule. Kennedy was arrested for unrelated tribal offenses on the same date.  As he was being booked into the Lower Brule jail, Kennedy became combative and attempted bite a federal officer on the arm and spit in the officer’s face.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Service - Crow Creek Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.

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

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, man convicted of two counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child. The sentencing took place on November 6, 2023.

Jeffery Pickner, age 47, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Kennedy was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. 

Pickner was indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2022 and pleaded guilty in August of 2023. 

The convictions stem from incidents that occurred between 1994 and 1996 in Crow Creek housing, in Buffalo County, South Dakota. Pickner repeatedly and continuously sexually abused a young boy in the community. The victim did not immediately disclose the 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 FBI.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.

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

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal jury has convicted Thomas Avery Drum, age 59, of Sisseton, South Dakota, of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child and Abusive Sexual Contact following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on November 15, 2023.

Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child carries a mandatory minimum of 30 years and a maximum penalty of up to life in custody; Abusive Sexual Contact carries any term of years and a maximum penalty of up to life in custody. Each conviction carries the possible maximum of a $250,000 fine, and a required a mandatory minimum of five years to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Drum was indicted by a federal grand jury in October of 2022. 

According to evidence presented at trial, between August of 2014 and August of 2015, Drum knowingly engaged in at least one sexual act and contact with a child under the age of 12. The sexual abuse took place at Drum’s residence on the Lake Traverse Reservation near the town of Sisseton.  At the time of the abuse, Drum was approximately 50 years of age, while the victim was seven.

This case was investigated by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe’s Law Enforcement and the FBI.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.

A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has been set for May 20, 2024. Drum was ordered to self-surrender on November 27, 2023.

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced an El Salvador man and a Victorville, California, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencings took place on November 13, 2023, in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

Edwin Giovanni Salinas, age 44, was sentenced to life in prison. He was ordered to pay $200 as a statutorily required special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Berta Rosmelvi Gonzales, age 33, was sentenced to three years and five months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. She was ordered to pay $100 as a statutorily required special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Salinas and Gonzales were indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in May of 2023. Gonzales pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance on July 10, 2023. On July 19, 2023, Salinas was found guilty at trial of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.

According to evidence admitted at trial, on November 26, 2022, Salinas and Gonzales were pulled over during a traffic stop. During a search of the vehicle, approximately 16 pounds of fentanyl was found. The fentanyl was contained in 12 packages – two containing powder weighing 3.5 pounds and another 10 containing approximately 50,000 pills. The 10 separate packages contained small blue pills marked “M” on one side and “30” on the other, apparent counterfeit “M-30” pills containing fentanyl. The fentanyl was mixed with a horse tranquilizer. The approximate street value of the drugs was estimated at $2,000,000.

“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug our communities have ever faced,” said Alison J. Ramsdell, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota. “It is almost fifty times more potent than heroin, and just two milligrams - an amount that can fit on the tip of a pencil - is enough to kill an average adult. So when this defendant trafficked more than 50,000 fentanyl pills and 3.5 pounds of fentanyl powder into our state, he brought enough poison to wipe out the entire population of South Dakota. It is therefore paramount that we continue to aggressively pursue and prosecute the trafficking of fentanyl, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to doing so alongside our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners.”

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. Laboratory testing indicates seven out of every 10 fentanyl pills seized by the DEA contained a lethal dose of fentanyl.

During the sentencing of Salinas, the Court stated that his conduct was “reprehensible,” citing the lethality of the controlled substances and the likely intended location of where a portion of the fentanyl was headed – tribal lands. The Court noted that this case involved the largest ever fentanyl seizure and prosecution in the state.

This case was investigated by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Sioux’s Law Enforcement, Roberts County Sheriff’s Department, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy R. Jehangiri and Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.

Salinas and Gonzales were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to continue serving their sentences.

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, woman convicted of Larceny. The sentencing took place on November 15, 2023.

Jacie Toki, age 30, was sentenced to three months in federal prison, followed by eighteen months of supervised release. She was further ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Toki was indicted for Larceny by a federal grand jury in April of 2023. She pleaded guilty on August 17, 2023.

The conviction stemmed from Toki stealing a police vehicle belonging to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services after a roadside encounter with law enforcement near Lantry, South Dakota, on February 28, 2023. Toki drove the vehicle away from the scene and left it in a ditch outside of Lantry.  

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

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

Toki 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 an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. The sentencing took place on November 6, 2023.

Anthony Lawrence Collins, age 40, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Collins was indicted by a federal grand jury in October of 2022. He pleaded guilty on July 27, 2023.

Collins was convicted in federal court of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in 2003. His firearms rights have not been restored. On July 23, 2022, in Eagle Butte, the police observed Collins holding a shotgun. They arrested Collins and seized the shotgun. Collins knew he had been convicted of a felony and could not possess firearms.

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

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

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that the owners and operators of the Grand Gateway Hotel and the Cheers Sports Lounge and Casino, a hotel and sports bar located in Rapid City, South Dakota, have entered into a consent decree resolving the Department’s lawsuit alleging that the defendants discriminated against Native American customers in violation of Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Under the consent decree, which still must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota, Connie Uhre will be barred from serving as an officer or director of the company or from exercising any management duties or being involved in any operations on behalf of the Grand Gateway Hotel for four years. The defendants will also issue a public apology and send it specifically to tribal organizations in South Dakota and throughout the Great Plains region. 

“As alleged in the complaint, the defendants both prevented Native Americans from booking rooms at the hotel and made public statements discouraging Native Americans from setting foot on the business’s property,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Statements like the one made by a defendant in this case – that ‘[w]e will no long[er] allow any Native American on property,’ – are reminiscent of a long history of prejudice and exclusion Native American communities have faced. The Justice Department will continue to work alongside Native American communities to fulfill the promise of equal protection under the law.”

“The defendants’ conduct in this case was egregious, motivated by naked animus, and amounted to an outright ban on Native American customers seeking access to a public establishment,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This kind of hateful conduct invokes a long and painful history of negative stereotypes against and exclusion of the Native American community. We applaud the Tribal elders, local officials, and advocates who took a stand against this shameful conduct. Our settlement should send a message to public establishments across the country that their doors must be open to all communities regardless of race. As we commemorate Native American Heritage Month, the Justice Department underscores its commitment to stand with Native Americans whenever they face unlawful discrimination.” 

“This consent decree affirms what should have never been at issue in the first place — that Native Americans have the fundamental right to receive equal services at places of public accommodation,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell for the District of South Dakota. “Although this agreement does not change the reprehensible behavior of Ms. Uhre or the harm caused by racial discrimination, the consent decree mandates Uhre’s removal from corporate control, the immediate cessation of discriminatory policies and the implementation of a series of preventative measures that must be taken at the expense of the corporation. The ongoing involvement of the Justice Department stands as a forceful reminder to all business owners in South Dakota that refusing services on the basis of race is against the law and will not be tolerated.”

The Department’s lawsuit, filed in October 2022, alleged that, since at least March 20, 2022, the Retsel Corporation and two of its directors, Connie Uhre and Nicholas Uhre, discriminated against Native American customers through policies and practices that denied Native Americans the full and equal enjoyment of access to the services, accommodations, and privileges at the Grand Gateway Hotel and the Cheers Sports Lounge and Casino.

Specifically, the complaint alleged that on or around March 20, 2022, Connie Uhre told other Rapid City hotel owners and managers that she did “not want to allow Natives on property…. The problem is we do not know the nice ones from the bad natives…so we just have to say no to them!” Uhre then announced on Facebook that “[w]e will no long[sic] allow any Native American” in the Grand Gateway or in the Cheers Sports Lounge and Casino. The complaint further alleged that on at least two occasions, on March 21 and March 22, 2022, respectively, the defendants turned away Native Americans who sought to book rooms in the Grand Gateway. 

The apology, issued as part of the consent decree, will include the following statement:

“We extend our sincere apology to all for the statements made by Connie Uhre on March 19-20, 2022, regarding Native Americans. Ms. Uhre’s comments were not consistent with the values or polices of our company or of our businesses, the Grand Gateway Hotel and Cheers Sports Lounge. We deeply regret the pain or harm Ms. Uhre’s statements have caused within our Native American community.  We want to make clear that we welcome all Native Americans to the Grand Gateway Hotel and Cheers Sports Lounge.”

The consent decree also requires that the defendants retain a compliance officer to oversee compliance with its terms, implement and publish an anti-discrimination policy, institute a complaint process, undergo training, and develop an affirmative marketing plan. These provisions will be in effect for the next three years. Title II prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin in places of public accommodation, such as hotels and places of entertainment. Under Title II, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division can obtain injunctive relief that changes policies and practices to remedy the discriminatory conduct. Title II does not authorize the division to obtain monetary damages for customers who are victims of discrimination. 

More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals may report discrimination in places of public accommodation that violates Title II by calling the Justice Department at 1-833-591-0291, or submitting a report online.

The Justice Department announced today that the owners and operators of the Grand Gateway Hotel and the Cheers Sports Lounge and Casino, a hotel and sports bar located in Rapid City, South Dakota, have entered into a consent decree resolving the Department’s lawsuit alleging that the defendants discriminated against Native American customers in violation of Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Under the consent decree, which still must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota, Connie Uhre will be barred from serving as an officer or director of the company or from exercising any management duties or being involved in any operations on behalf of the Grand Gateway Hotel for four years. The defendants will also issue a public apology and send it specifically to tribal organizations in South Dakota and throughout the Great Plains region. 

“As alleged in the complaint, the defendants both prevented Native Americans from booking rooms at the hotel and made public statements discouraging Native Americans from setting foot on the business’s property,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Statements like the one made by a defendant in this case – that ‘[w]e will no long[er] allow any Native American on property,’ – are reminiscent of a long history of prejudice and exclusion Native American communities have faced. The Justice Department will continue to work alongside Native American communities to fulfill the promise of equal protection under the law.”

“The defendants’ conduct in this case was egregious, motivated by naked animus, and amounted to an outright ban on Native American customers seeking access to a public establishment,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This kind of hateful conduct invokes a long and painful history of negative stereotypes against and exclusion of the Native American community. We applaud the Tribal elders, local officials, and advocates who took a stand against this shameful conduct. Our settlement should send a message to public establishments across the country that their doors must be open to all communities regardless of race. As we commemorate Native American Heritage Month, the Justice Department underscores its commitment to stand with Native Americans whenever they face unlawful discrimination.” 

“This consent decree affirms what should have never been at issue in the first place — that Native Americans have the fundamental right to receive equal services at places of public accommodation,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell for the District of South Dakota. “Although this agreement does not change the reprehensible behavior of Ms. Uhre or the harm caused by racial discrimination, the consent decree mandates Uhre’s removal from corporate control, the immediate cessation of discriminatory policies and the implementation of a series of preventative measures that must be taken at the expense of the corporation. The ongoing involvement of the Justice Department stands as a forceful reminder to all business owners in South Dakota that refusing services on the basis of race is against the law and will not be tolerated.”

The Department’s lawsuit, filed in October 2022, alleged that, since at least March 20, 2022, the Retsel Corporation and two of its directors, Connie Uhre and Nicholas Uhre, discriminated against Native American customers through policies and practices that denied Native Americans the full and equal enjoyment of access to the services, accommodations, and privileges at the Grand Gateway Hotel and the Cheers Sports Lounge and Casino.

Specifically, the complaint alleged that on or around March 20, 2022, Connie Uhre told other Rapid City hotel owners and managers that she did “not want to allow Natives on property…. The problem is we do not know the nice ones from the bad natives…so we just have to say no to them!” Uhre then announced on Facebook that “[w]e will no long[sic] allow any Native American” in the Grand Gateway or in the Cheers Sports Lounge and Casino. The complaint further alleged that on at least two occasions, on March 21 and March 22, 2022, respectively, the defendants turned away Native Americans who sought to book rooms in the Grand Gateway. 

The apology, issued as part of the consent decree, will include the following statement:

“We extend our sincere apology to all for the statements made by Connie Uhre on March 19-20, 2022, regarding Native Americans. Ms. Uhre’s comments were not consistent with the values or polices of our company or of our businesses, the Grand Gateway Hotel and Cheers Sports Lounge. We deeply regret the pain or harm Ms. Uhre’s statements have caused within our Native American community.  We want to make clear that we welcome all Native Americans to the Grand Gateway Hotel and Cheers Sports Lounge.”

The consent decree also requires that the defendants retain a compliance officer to oversee compliance with its terms, implement and publish an anti-discrimination policy, institute a complaint process, undergo training, and develop an affirmative marketing plan. These provisions will be in effect for the next three years. Title II prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin in places of public accommodation, such as hotels and places of entertainment. Under Title II, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division can obtain injunctive relief that changes policies and practices to remedy the discriminatory conduct. Title II does not authorize the division to obtain monetary damages for customers who are victims of discrimination. 

More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals may report discrimination in places of public accommodation that violates Title II by calling the Justice Department at 1-833-591-0291, or submitting a report online.

View the consent decree here.

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Watertown, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on October 30, 2023.

Taylor Hoff, 29, was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison, followed by five  years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Hoff was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in April of 2023. She pleaded guilty on July 31, 2023.

During her involvement in the conspiracy, Hoff obtained pills containing fentanyl from a co-conspirator on front and re-sold the pills to drug customers in northeastern South Dakota, to include on the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate reservation.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Watertown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

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

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man for two counts of Second-Degree Murder.

Jonathan Eagle Elk, age 18, was indicted in October of 2023. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on October 30, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.

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

In June of 2022, Eagle Elk killed Louis Swift Bird by beating him to death. Then in July of 2022, he beat Maria Makes Him First to death. Both murders occurred in Pine Ridge, within blocks of each other. Both Swift Bird and Makes Him First were homeless at the time and laying defenseless on the ground when Eagle Elk attacked them. 

The charge is merely an accusation and Eagle Elk is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

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. 

The investigation is being conducted by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins is prosecuting the case. 

Eagle Elk was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced two Sioux Falls, South Dakota, women convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencings took place on October 30, 2023.

Kessara Mikkelson, 35, was sentenced to nineteen years and seven months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Asia Gunhammer. 31, was sentenced to ten years and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Mikkelson and Gunhammer were indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in June  of 2023. Mikkelson pleaded guilty on July 25, 2023, and Gunhammer pleaded guilty on July 20, 2023.

Mikkelson and Gunhammer were involved in a large-scale methamphetamine and fentanyl distribution network that originated out of California and made its way into South Dakota through shipments that were both mailed through FedEx and driven in semi-trailers. The source of supply for this organization, Terry Morris, Jr., who was also indicted as part of this conspiracy, was, and continues to be, incarcerated in a California state prison. He is set to be sentenced on November 13, 2023. Mikkelson was personally responsible for organizing and handling over 100 pounds of methamphetamine and 25,000 fentanyl pills during her involvement in this conspiracy. Gunhammer was one of the known sub-distributors for Mikkelson. The methamphetamine in this conspiracy was known to be sourced by the Mexican cartels.

This case was investigated by the FBI, Sioux Falls Police Department, and the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

Mikkelson and Gunhammer were 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 Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on October 24, 2023.

Jonah Burning Breast, 29, was sentenced to four 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. 

Burning Breast was indicted for the charge by a federal grand jury in February of 2023. He pleaded guilty on August 4, 2023.

The conviction stems from Burning Breast, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, knowingly being in possession of an O.F. Mossberg & Sons Incorporated 12 gauge, pump-action shotgun in Rapid City in January of 2023.

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 Heather Knox prosecuted the case.

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

ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Failing to Register as a Sex Offender was sentenced on October 30, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.

Leonard Jones, age 37, was sentenced to 18 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.

Jones was indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2023. He pleaded guilty on August 2, 2023.

Jones is required to register as a sex offender under federal law. Jones had registered an address in Rapid City with the Rapid City Police Department in August of 2022, following his release from prison. In January of 2023, Jones left that address without notifying the police or his probation officer. Jones did not update his registration until his arrest for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender in July of 2023.

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

Jones 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 Manderson, South Dakota, man convicted of Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Use of Force, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, Assault by Strangulation and Suffocation, Distribution of a Controlled Substance to an Individual Under 21, Tampering with a Witness, Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to a Spouse, Intimate Partner, or Dating Partner, two counts of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Sexual Abuse. The sentencing took place on October 26, 2023.

Gabriel White Plume, 39, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison on the charges of Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Use of Force, Distribution of a Controlled Substance to an Individual Under 21, and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, 20 years on the charge of Tampering with a Witness, 10 years on the two charges of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Assault by Strangulation and Suffocation, and five years on the charge of Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to a Spouse, Intimate Partner, or Dating Partner. The prison sentences were ordered to be served concurrently and will be followed by six years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a total of $800 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

White Plume was indicted for the charges by a federal grand jury in February of 2023. He was found guilty following a federal jury trial in Rapid City, South Dakota, in July of 2023.

The conviction stems from White Plume physically and sexually abusing his dating partner by the use of force at Manderson. The victim sustained substantial bodily injury from the physical assault and serious bodily injury from the sexual assault. Prior to being charged federally, White Plume was able to obtain a cellular device in his cell while incarcerated at Pine Ridge. White Plume used the cellular device to access Facebook in order to corruptly persuade his victim into dropping tribal charges. 

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

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

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

ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Little Eagle, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on October 30, 2023.

Jesse James Clairmont, age 54, was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Clairmont was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in February of 2021. He pleaded guilty on July 24, 2023.

The conviction stemmed from Clairmont distributing methamphetamine primarily within the Standing Rock Indian Reservation between January 1, 2015, and February 8, 2021. During the time frame of the conspiracy, Clairmont was responsible for distributing at least 50 grams but less than 200 grams of methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.

Clairmont 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 Deadwood, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet. The sentencing took place on October 24, 2023.

Donald William Laun, 62, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Laun will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

Laun was indicted for Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet by a federal grand jury in August of 2022. He pleaded guilty on August 11, 2023.

Laun was arrested as a result of an undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the 2022 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, targeting internet predators. Following multiple chats and sexually explicit text messages with a person Laun believed to be a 14-year-old girl, but who was in fact an undercover agent, Laun proceeded to negotiate a time and place he would meet the minor to engage in unlawful sex acts. When Laun 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 the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.

Laun 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 an Allen, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact and Possession of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on October 26, 2023.

Joshua Isaac Sharp, 39, was sentenced to 30 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, following his conviction for Abusive Sexual Contact. 

Sharp was also sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay another $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, following his conviction for Possession of Child Pornography. The Court ordered that the sentences be run concurrently.

Sharp was indicted for the charges by a federal grand jury in July of 2022. He pleaded guilty on July 28, 2023.

The conviction stems from Sharp engaging in sexual contact with a child who was less than 12 years old in November of 2021 near Allen. Sharp also possessed child pornography on his cellular telephone during this time.

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 Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.

Sharp 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 Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on October 25, 2023.

Jeremiah Little, 40, was sentenced to eight years and four 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. He was also ordered to forfeit two firearms.

Little was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (methamphetamine) by a federal grand jury in September of 2022. He pleaded guilty on August 11, 2023.

In the spring and summer of 2021, Little distributed methamphetamine primarily in Kyle and Pine Ridge, South Dakota. On May 13, 2022, law enforcement located two firearms and drug paraphernalia in a vehicle operated by Little after he fled from them. During the time frame of the conspiracy, Little was responsible for distributing around 200 grams of methamphetamine. On a second occasion in August of 2022, Little again fled from law enforcement, this time leading to seizure of drug paraphernalia.

This case was investigated by Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, FBI, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case. 

Little 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 Parmelee, South Dakota man convicted of Assault of an Intimate Partner by Strangulation. The sentencing took place on October 24, 2023.

Allen Eugene Two Eagle, age 31, was sentenced to 20 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.

Two Eagle was indicted for Assault of an Intimate Partner by Strangulation by a federal grand jury in April of 2022. He pleaded guilty on July 27, 2023.

The Defendant and the victim began dating in November of 2020.  In September of 2021, they were living together at the Defendant’s residence in Parmelee. On September 12, 2021, the Defendant and the victim argued about their relationship and the argument continued into the following day. The confrontation became physical when the Defendant assaulted the victim. During the assault, the Defendant put his knee into the victim’s stomach and put his hand around her neck. The victim was not able to breathe as the Defendant applied pressure to her neck.

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

This case was investigated by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler prosecuted the case.

Two Eagle 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 Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Prohibited Possession of a Firearm. Sentencing took place on October 23, 2023.

Paris Bordeaux, age 33, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Bordeaux was indicted by a federal grand jury in January of 2023. He pleaded guilty on July 27, 2023.

On August 28, 2022, law enforcement initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle near Mission for a vehicle safety violation. The Defendant was the driver of the vehicle. As information developed during the stop, it was determined the vehicle would be searched. The search revealed a Glock pistol, a box of 9mm rounds, a plastic bag with methamphetamine, two digital scales that tested positive for narcotics, and a glass pipe with residue. The Defendant admitted to possessing the firearm and claimed ownership of the drug-related items in the vehicle. As an unlawful user of a controlled substance, the Defendant is prohibited from possessing a firearm. The Defendant also has a prior conviction for domestic violence which prohibits him from possessing 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.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler. 

Bordeaux was 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 Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter and Child Abuse. The sentencing took place on October 24, 2023.

Noah Virgil White Lance, III, age 34, was sentenced to a total of 18 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.

White Lance was indicted by a federal grand jury in November of 2022. He pleaded guilty on July 10, 2023.

In early August of 2022, the Defendant and his two daughters relocated from Rapid City, South Dakota, to Mission, South Dakota. While residing in Mission, the Defendant would physically abuse his younger daughter by striking her in the head and body. The Defendant would also order his older daughter to abuse his younger daughter as a form of discipline. On August 11, the Defendant instructed his older daughter to discipline his younger daughter for violating bathroom privileges.  In line with the Defendant’s orders, the older daughter abused her sister. The younger daughter became non-responsive during the abuse and succumbed to her injuries two days later after attempts at medical intervention were unsuccessful. An autopsy revealed traumatic head injuries, multiple rib fractures at various stages of healing, and multiple cuts and bruises. The cause of death was determined to be traumatic brain injury due to non-accident trauma. The fatal injury was likely inflicted previously and the symptoms were exacerbated by the older sibling.

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, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler prosecuted the case.

White Lance 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 Receiving a Firearm While Under Indictment. The sentencing took place on October 19, 2023.

Antonino Alvarez-Resendiz, 36, was sentenced to three years in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100  special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Alvarez-Resendiz was indicted for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Receiving a Firearm While Under Indictment by a federal grand jury in January 2022. He pleaded guilty on July 14, 2023.

In December of 2021, in Rapid City, Alvarez-Resendiz, while knowing he was under indictment on felony charges in South Dakota state court, was in possession of a Beretta, .40 caliber Smith & Wesson, which was found after Alvarez-Resendiz came into contact with law enforcement. Alvarez-Resendiz was also found in possession of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.

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

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

Alvarez-Resendiz was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.