Lawrence Parker III Indicted for ATM Screen Attack

A 25-year-old Howes man is facing federal time after being indicted for attacking an ATM’s screen in a deliberate act of destruction. Lawrence Parker III, accused of willfully damaging the machine on June 4, 2016, in Eagle Butte, now stands charged with Malicious Mischief under federal law.

Parker was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 8, 2016. Two days later, he stood before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Moreno and entered a plea of not guilty. The charge carries a maximum penalty of up to 5 years in federal custody and/or a $250,000 fine, along with 3 years of supervised release and a $100 payment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The court may also order restitution.

According to the indictment, Parker targeted the screen of an Automated Teller Machine, destroying critical functionality in an act prosecutors allege was both willful and malicious. The machine, located on tribal land, was rendered inoperable, disrupting access to financial services in the isolated community.

The investigation was spearheaded by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, who gathered evidence tying Parker to the scene. Federal prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller, are handling the case out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota.

Despite the serious nature of the charge, Parker was released on bond pending trial. No trial date has yet been scheduled as the legal process moves forward in federal court. Prosecutors are expected to present forensic and eyewitness evidence when the case finally goes before a jury.

The charge against Lawrence Parker III remains an accusation, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The case underscores the federal interest in protecting financial infrastructure, even in small, rural communities across South Dakota.