Brian Wallace Taken Alive, Burglary, South Dakota 2025

Burglar Sentenced to 2.5 Years in Federal Prison

A McLaughlin man has been sentenced to 2.5 years in federal prison for his role in a burglary on the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. Brian Wallace Taken Alive, 34, was sentenced on May 19, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.

According to court documents, Taken Alive and two co-defendants went to a woman’s home in McLaughlin, South Dakota, on July 5, 2023, to assault a man they believed had inappropriately touched a girl. The woman yelled at them to leave, but Taken Alive kicked in the front door and entered the house, along with another co-defendant. The victim, who was passed out at the time, was repeatedly kicked in the face and struck with a bar.

The victim suffered a broken nose and shattered orbital and sinus bones in the attack and still struggles with his vision and headaches today. The FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services investigated the case, which was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office due to the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute that mandates the prosecution of certain violent crimes in federal court.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case, and Taken Alive was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Taken Alive pleaded guilty on October 21, 2024, and was sentenced to 2.5 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

The case highlights the importance of federal jurisdiction in cases involving violent crimes on Native American reservations. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has a long history of working with law enforcement agencies to bring justice to victims of crime in Indian country.

Defendant’s Information:

Defendant: Brian Wallace Taken Alive

Criminal Charges: First Degree Burglary

City and State: Aberdeen, South Dakota

Date: May 19, 2025 (sentencing)

Sentence: 2.5 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund

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