Two men from Fort Thompson, South Dakota, have been sentenced to federal prison following their involvement in a violent assault on the Crow Creek Sioux Indian Reservation. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell.
Trevin Witt, 18, pleaded guilty to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Using and Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. On March 31, 2025, he received an 11-year federal prison sentence, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Lawrence Taylor, 21, pleaded guilty to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. He was sentenced on August 19, 2025, to four years and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Taylor must also pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The two men were indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024. Witt entered his guilty plea on February 24, 2025; Taylor did so on May 15, 2025.
According to court documents, the incident occurred on April 13, 2024. Witt and Taylor forcibly entered the victim’s home on the Crow Creek Sioux Indian Reservation. Witt held a gun to the head of one resident while demanding information about the victim’s whereabouts. When the victim appeared from the basement stairs, Witt shot him. The victim survived.
“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.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and BIA-Office of Justice Services – Crow Creek Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley handled prosecution for this case.
Both defendants were remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service after sentencing.
