Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a McLaughlin, South Dakota man, Patrick Red Legs, has been sentenced for failing to register as a sex offender. The sentencing by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange of the U.S. District Court took place on June 30, 2025.
Patrick Red Legs, aged 31, received a sentence of one year and 11 months in federal prison. Following his prison term, he will undergo five years of supervised release and is required to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Red Legs was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2024 and pleaded guilty on May 15, 2025. His obligation to register as a sex offender stems from a previous conviction for sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl. This marks his third conviction for failing to register as required.
After being released from prison on June 10, 2024, Red Legs registered an address in McLaughlin with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. However, he moved to Little Eagle without updating his registration around July 1, 2024. This move violated restrictions due to the presence of children at his girlfriend's home where he relocated. He updated his address only after being arrested for violating supervised release on August 12, 2024.
The case was 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 coordinates resources from federal, state, and local levels to prosecute offenders and rescue victims.
The United States Marshals Service conducted the investigation with Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuting the case.
Following sentencing, Red Legs was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
