The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota continued its work to improve public safety during the recent federal government shutdown, according to an announcement from United States Attorney Ron Parsons. Despite the shutdown, staff at the office and their law enforcement partners prosecuted cases involving drug trafficking, child exploitation, and violent assaults.
The office secured significant federal sentences for several individuals convicted of distributing methamphetamine in various regions of South Dakota. These included a 30-year sentence for a woman from Box Elder and sentences ranging from over 21 to 27 years for men involved in drug conspiracies in Rapid City, Pine Ridge Reservation, Lower Brule and Crow Creek Reservations, and Sioux Falls.
Efforts also focused on crimes against children. Sentences included 40 years for a man from Watertown who sexually assaulted a child and 35 years for a Nebraska man involved in sexual exploitation of a minor from South Dakota. Other convictions included cases related to child sex trafficking, production of child pornography by a teacher in Sioux Falls, and attempted enticement of a minor using the internet.
Violent crime prosecutions resulted in prison terms such as eight years for assault causing serious bodily injury by a man from Kyle, seven years for brandishing a firearm during a violent crime by a Rapid City man, nearly six years for illegal possession of a firearm by another Sioux Falls resident, and nearly five years for similar charges against another Rapid City man.
“These results demonstrate our ongoing commitment to protecting communities even during challenging times,” said U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons.
A complete list of press releases issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sd/pr.
