United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Manderson, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for one count of Sexual Abuse and two counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor.

John Joseph White Plume, Sr., age 50, was indicted on October 21, 2021.  He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on February 23, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is lifetime imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, up to life of supervised release, and a $300 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  Restitution may also be ordered.

The charges relate to White Plume knowingly engaging in and attempting to engage in sexual acts with a minor female at Manderson in March 2021.

The charges are merely accusations and White Plume is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

The investigation is being conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen is prosecuting the case.

White Plume was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial.  A trial date has been set for May 3, 2022.

Original source can be found here.