United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a McLaughlin, South Dakota, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Involuntary Manslaughter.
Jessica Ann Black Cloud, age 23, was indicted in August of 2022. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on Aug. 18, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to eight years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on April 19, 2022, in Corson County, South Dakota, Black Cloud unlawfully killed another person while operating a motor vehicle in a grossly negligent manner.
The charge is merely an accusation and Black Cloud is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, Standing Rock Agency, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, the FBI, the Corson County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook is prosecuting the case.
Black Cloud was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
