Jami Johnson, Jr., a 19-year-old from Fort Thompson, was sentenced on July 29 to 17 years in federal prison for second-degree murder, according to an Aug. 3 announcement by United States Attorney Ron Parsons. The sentencing took place before U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte in Pierre.
Johnson will also serve five years of supervised release and must pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2025 and pleaded guilty on April 30, 2026.
The case stems from an incident during the early morning hours of August 11, 2025, when a group of young adults gathered outdoors near Lower Brule, South Dakota. Johnson and another individual produced firearms after an argument broke out; both fired toward one victim, who was struck in the head and killed instantly. A second victim not involved in the argument was also shot and mortally wounded. The offense occurred within the Lower Brule Sioux Indian Reservation.
“This was a horrifying and senseless act of violence that has shaken the community,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “Two bright young lives were taken, and no courtroom outcome can restore what was stolen from these families. We share their grief and the hollow space that remains. This sentence cannot heal those wounds, but it is our hope that it may offer them some measure of justice and, in time, a measure of peace.”
This prosecution falls under the Major Crimes Act—a federal statute requiring certain violent crimes committed in Indian Country be prosecuted federally rather than at the state level—and is part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Regional Outreach Program aimed at preventing such cases through coordination with tribal partners.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs-Office of Justice Services; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Troy R. Morley (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Person Assistant) and Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted it.
Johnson was immediately remanded to U.S. Marshals Service custody following sentencing.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota serves as chief federal law enforcement officer for its district; handles criminal prosecutions as well as civil cases; covers all areas within South Dakota; supports public safety initiatives; advances community safety; enforces federal laws across its jurisdiction; and operates as a prosecutorial office for federal matters, according to the official website.