Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell has announced the sentencing of Cole Waters, a resident of Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Waters was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler to two years in federal prison for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The sentence also includes three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The charges against Waters stem from an incident on November 16, 2024, where he assaulted his nephew with a pistol in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. The assault resulted in serious injuries to the victim, including facial fractures and other bodily harm.
Waters was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2024 and pleaded guilty on May 9, 2025. This case falls under the jurisdiction of the Major Crimes Act, which requires certain violent crimes in Indian Country to be prosecuted federally.
The investigation was conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder led the prosecution.
Following his sentencing on July 21, 2025, Waters was placed into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
