Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
Two men from Fort Thompson, South Dakota, have been sentenced to federal prison following their convictions in a violent assault case involving a firearm. U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte handed down the sentences after both men pleaded guilty to charges stemming from an incident on the Crow Creek Sioux Indian Reservation.
Trevin Witt, 18, pleaded guilty to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Using and Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. He was sentenced on March 31, 2025, to 11 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Witt was also ordered to pay a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Lawrence Taylor, 21, pleaded guilty to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. On August 19, 2025, he received a sentence of four years and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Taylor was ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
According to court records, Witt and Taylor were indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024. Witt entered his plea on February 24, 2025; Taylor pleaded guilty on May 15, 2025.
The charges relate to an event that took place on April 13, 2024. On that day, Witt and Taylor forcibly entered the home of the victim on the Crow Creek Sioux Indian Reservation. During the incident, Witt held a gun to the head of one resident while demanding information about the victim's whereabouts. When the victim appeared from the basement stairs, he was shot by Witt but survived.
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell explained: "This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court."
The investigation into this case was conducted by the FBI and BIA-Office of Justice Services – Crow Creek Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley handled prosecution duties for the case.
Both defendants were immediately remanded into custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following sentencing.
