Mobridge Man Sentenced for Property Destruction After Escape

Aberdeen, SD – In a stunning turn of events, Kendall Lee White Tail, 34, from Mobridge, South Dakota, has been sentenced to over 1½ years in federal prison for malicious destruction of property. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann on September 29, 2025.

White Tail’s escapade began when he made a daring escape from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Correctional Facility in Fort Yates, North Dakota, on January 18, 2024, causing over $3,000 worth of damage to the facility. Law enforcement tracked him down and arrested him at a residence within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation in Bullhead, South Dakota, just eight days later.

The charges against White Tail were serious. He was indicted by a North Dakota federal grand jury in March 2025 and pleaded guilty on August 4, 2025. Today, he faces a long stretch behind bars – 20 months to be precise – as well as three years of supervised release post-prison.

In addition to the prison term, White Tail has been ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $4,450.22 in restitution for the damage he caused during his escape.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandi Russell and Carl Thunem leading the prosecution. White Tail has been remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service immediately following sentencing.

The gravity of White Tail’s actions underscores the importance of public safety and the thorough investigation conducted by law enforcement agencies in bringing him to justice.

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