United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Madison, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments, and Use of a Fraudulent Identification Document was sentenced on September 24, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.

Alex Lopez-Nicolas, age 24, was sentenced as follows:  On the methamphetamine and money laundering conspiracies, 120 months in federal prison on each count, to run concurrent, followed by 5 years of supervised release on the methamphetamine conspiracy and 3 years of supervised release on the money laundering conspiracy, to run concurrent.  He was also ordered to pay $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

On the fraudulent document charge, he was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, both to run concurrent to the sentences received on the conspiracies.  He was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Lopez-Nicolas was indicted for using a fraudulent Permanent Resident card by a federal grand jury on January 9, 2018, and for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments by a federal grand jury on January 9, 2018.  He pled guilty to all of the offenses on June 11, 2018.

On January 9, 2017, Lopez-Nicolas applied for work at a business in Madison.  At that time, he provided the employer with a fraudulent Permanent Resident card as proof of his eligibility for employment.

From on or about January 1, 2017, to November 15, 2017, Lopez-Nicolas had multiple conversations with a confidential informant about setting up methamphetamine transactions with a co-conspirator.  He also deposited cash from the sale of methamphetamine into several Wells Fargo Bank accounts, none of which were in his name, to conceal the source of the cash. 

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer D. Mammenga and Connie Larson prosecuted the case.

Lopez-Nicolas was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Parmelee, South Dakota, couple has been sentenced by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, based on their convictions in an Involuntary Manslaughter and Child Abuse case.

Dakota Horned Eagle, age 29, pled guilty on November 4, 2019, to Involuntary Manslaughter and Operating a Motor Vehicle While Under the Influence of Alcohol Causing Serious Bodily Injury to a Minor.  On January 27, 2020, he was sentenced to 52 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.

Ashley Stoneman, age 25, pled guilty on November 18, 2019, to Child Abuse.  On February 10, 2020, she was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

The couple was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 23, 2019.

The convictions stemmed from an incident that occurred on July 12, 2019, in Todd County, South Dakota.  On that date, Horned Eagle and Stoneman were consuming alcoholic beverages and socializing at a residence in the He Dog Community.  At approximately 1:00 p.m., they decided to drive back to their residence in nearby Parmelee.  They loaded six children into their vehicle and departed the residence, with Horned Eagle driving and Stoneman riding in the front passenger seat.  None of the children, who ranged in age from two months old to twelve years old, were secured with car seats or seat belts.  Horned Eagle was intoxicated.  A short time later, they were traveling on a gravel road between He Dog and Parmelee, when their vehicle left the roadway and wrecked.  At the time of the wreck, Horned Eagle was driving at least 50 miles per hour (mph) in an area where the posted speed limit is 35 mph.

Two of the children in the vehicle suffered fatal injuries as a result of the wreck.  The other four children in the vehicle sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

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

Horned Eagle and Stoneman were immediately turned over 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 Cherry Creek, South Dakota, man convicted of two counts of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on June 10, 2024.

Dana James Marshall, age 38, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.

Marshall was indicted by a federal grand jury in October of 2023. He pleaded guilty on March 11, 2024.

On April 15, 2022, Marshall invited his 18-year-old niece to his bedroom. She accepted his invitation and disrobed at his behest, but clearly told Marshall she did not want him to sexually touch her. Marshall nonetheless seized her by the ribs and groped her private body parts. This incident occurred in the Cherry Creek Community, which lies within the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.

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

This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Service and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.

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

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of 2 counts of Wire Fraud and 1 count of Theft of Government Property was sentenced by Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.

Robert Rodney Bland, age 52, was sentenced on September 4, 2020, to 12 months in federal prison, and was ordered to pay a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $75,000 in restitution to the General Services Administration (GSA).  

Between January 2010 and May 2018, Bland, while sole owner and operator of Motive Magic Mobile Windshield Repair, fraudulently billed GSA for hundreds of rock chip repairs he did not perform on dozens of vehicles leased to various federal agencies.  On 1 vehicle, Bland claimed to have repaired 71 rock chips, but in reality only completed 2 repairs.  On another vehicle, Bland claimed to have repaired 44 rock chips, but in actuality repaired none.  The majority of the time, the agency which leased the GSA vehicle was unaware that the claimed repair had been billed to GSA because Bland would not notify the agency representative or provide invoices to the agency before or after billing for a claimed repair.  In total, Bland fraudulently billed and was paid $75,000 by GSA for work he had not performed.  Bland used the fraudulent proceeds to purchase and/or pay for a pontoon boat, boat trailer, Harley Davidson motorcycle, 5th wheel camper, and a van, all for his personal use.  Each of these vehicles were seized and forfeited to the United States.  

"GSA relies on vendors across the United States to maintain its large fleet of government vehicles.  The judgment in this case proves that GSA OIG, along with our investigative partners, will pursue vendors who defraud the Government and take advantage of the trust that is placed in them,” said Special Agent in Charge Jamie Willemin, General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General.

The investigation was conducted by the General Services Administration - Office of Inspector General, the Department of Health and Human Services -Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Defense - Office of Inspector General.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.

Bland was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence. 

ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Sisseton, South Dakota, man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on June 24, 2024. 

Jay Adams, age 58, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $50 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.   

Adams was indicted by a federal grand jury in April of 2023. He pleaded guilty in November of 2023.

In the early morning hours of September 4, 1992, in the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation, Adams killed a young person, in the heat of passion, by slamming the victim’s head on a hard concrete floor. Afterward, he placed her back on the bed and returned to his bedroom. 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. An initial investigation failed to identify Adams as the assailant and the case remained unsolved for over 30 years.

In early 2023, a witness to the crime came forward and identified Adams as being responsible for the death of the victim in 1992. Law enforcement officers from the Sisseton-Wahpeton Tribal Police Department and the FBI continued the investigation. Prior to indictment in April of 2023, investigators conducted interviews of other individuals associated with Adams and consulted with a pathologist to review the 1992 autopsy performed on the victim. The medical evidence corroborated Adams eventual statement related to his guilty plea that he injured the child, which caused blunt force trauma and caused the child’s death.

“Tragically this matter took thirty years to resolve,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “But the resolution nonetheless demonstrates law enforcement’s relentless commitment to cracking these cases so that perpetrators can be held to account. It is our hope the Defendant’s sentence offers some measure of closure to the victim’s family.”

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 was prosecuted by MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Great Plains Region Troy R. Morley. 

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

 Jason Sparling submitted an application for a drought disaster payment to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFDP), for a loss of grazing during the summer of 2014.  Based on Sparling’s statements, he received an LFDP payment of $94,696. The USDA later determined that none of Sparling’s cattle were on the drought stricken pasture during the qualifying period and Starling was not entitled to the disaster payment. 

Sparling subsequently entered into a settlement agreement and paid the government $180,000, to settle the civil debt resulting from his false statements made to the USDA, pursuant to the False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. § 3729).  The False Claims Act imposes liability on persons and companies who knowingly submit false claims to the government to get a benefit paid by the government. Persons who submit a false claim must pay to the United States a civil penalty of not less than $5,500 and not more than $11,000 for each false claim, plus three times the amount of damages which the government sustained.

The United States Attorney’s Office places a high priority on criminal and civil enforcement in cases involving all types of fraud committed against the government, and works with various law enforcement agencies to identify and investigate these matters.  The investigation, in this case was conducted by USDA, Office of Inspector General.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheryl Schrempp DuPris handled the civil case.