Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Kaleb Mills, also known as Kayleb Mills, has been sentenced to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for sexual abuse. The sentencing was carried out by U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler on February 10, 2025.
Mills, a resident of Pine Ridge, South Dakota, will serve his sentence followed by five years of supervised release and is required to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. A federal grand jury indicted him in March 2024, and he pleaded guilty on October 2, 2024.
The conviction arose from an incident where Mills sent a Facebook message to a 17-year-old female asking her if she wanted to hang out. After arranging transportation for her to his residence at Pine Ridge, he injected her with methamphetamine. While under the influence and unable to consent, Mills engaged in sexual activity with her. He had previously been convicted of a similar charge in 2013.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project brings together federal, state, and local resources to locate and prosecute offenders while identifying and rescuing victims.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case under the Major Crimes Act because it involved violent crimes occurring in Indian country that require federal prosecution instead of state court proceedings.
The FBI conducted the investigation into this matter with Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen leading the prosecution efforts.
Following his sentencing, Mills was remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
