U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell | U.S. Department of Justice
A Sioux Falls man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor using the internet. The sentencing was announced by United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell and took place on January 6, 2025, under U.S. District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol.
Kalvin Michael Frankus, aged 37, will serve a decade in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. He is also required to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and register as a sex offender upon his release.
Frankus was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024 and pleaded guilty on October 16, 2024. The conviction is linked to an incident on March 10, 2024, when Frankus attempted to meet with what he believed was a 15-year-old girl for sexual purposes. The individual turned out to be an undercover law enforcement officer posing as the teenager. Frankus drove to the agreed location where he was subsequently arrested.
The case falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. This project coordinates resources from federal, state, and local levels to prosecute offenders and rescue victims.
The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation while Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.
Following his sentencing, Frankus was remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
