SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that two South Dakotan men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
Cody Nicolas Gill, age 32, and Jesse Burton Robert Hopkins, Sr., a/k/a JJ, age 35, were indicted in October of 2022. Each appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on Oct. 25, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction for each count is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution and forfeiture may also be ordered.
According to the Indictment, in late July of 2022, in Day County, South Dakota, Gill and Hopkins committed an aggravated assault against the victim. The victim sustained serious bodily injuries as a result of the assault.
The charges are merely accusations, and Gill and Hopkins are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI and the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Sioux Tribe’s Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.
Both defendants were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date of Dec. 27, 2022, has been set.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
