Date: 10-29-2024

Case Style:

United States of America v. Brent Lester

Case Number: 23-CR-2176

Judge: Eric C. Schulte

Court: The United States District Court for the District of South Dakota (Minnehaha County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: The United States Attorney’s Office for Sioux Falls

Defendant's Attorney:

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Description:

Sioux Falls, South Dakota criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with
Parmelee Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Shooting Another Man.

United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Parmelee, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault With a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing took place on October 29, 2024.

Brent Lester, age 28, 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.

Lester was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2023. He pleaded guilty on July 17, 2024.

The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in October of 2022 within the boundaries of the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On October 14, 2022, Lester visited the residence of the victim, an adult male, in Mission, South Dakota. Lester was invited into the residence, but subsequently became loud and confrontational prompting the victim to demand Lester leave. Lester then produced a pistol and fired one shot at the victim, causing superficial wounds to the victim’s abdomen. Lester fled the scene but was apprehended by law enforcement later that day.

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

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

Outcome:

Defendant was found guilty and 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.

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