Devon Wayne Saul, a 27-year-old from Fort Thompson, South Dakota, was sentenced to 102 months in federal prison for sexually assaulting an incapacitated woman in the early hours of August 18, 2019. The sentencing, handed down on August 17, 2020, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange in Pierre federal court, marks the end of a grim chapter for a victim left violated and voiceless in the back of Saul’s vehicle.
Saul was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and will face five years of supervised release upon completion of his sentence. According to court documents, the victim had been drinking with friends and became so intoxicated she was physically incapable of refusing sexual conduct or communicating her unwillingness. Saul, fully aware of her condition, proceeded anyway.
That night, surveillance and witness testimony confirmed Saul and another individual carried the unconscious woman to his vehicle. Once the others left, Saul remained alone with her and committed the sexual act inside the car. The act was not consensual—nor could it have been, given the victim’s state. Prosecutors emphasized that Saul exploited her helplessness without hesitation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, working in tandem with the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe’s Law Enforcement, led the investigation. Evidence gathered at the scene, witness statements, and victim testimony formed a damning case against Saul, leaving little room for dispute in court. Federal authorities moved swiftly to ensure accountability on tribal land, where jurisdictional complexities often delay justice.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case, calling the crime a blatant violation of trust and human dignity. “This wasn’t a mistake. This was predation,” Jehangiri stated in court filings. “The defendant saw vulnerability and acted on it with intent.”
Saul was remanded to federal custody immediately following sentencing. The case underscores ongoing challenges in addressing sexual violence in tribal communities, where federal prosecution is often required. For now, justice has a name—and a sentence: 102 months behind bars for Devon Wayne Saul.
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Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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