A Wounded Knee man lit a trailer on fire after breaking in and stealing electronics, only to be sentenced to 18 months behind bars. Gary Rowland Jr., 32, admitted to smashing into a home on the Pine Ridge Reservation, grabbing a DVD player, DVDs, and a pair of headphones before dousing the entryway with gasoline and igniting it. The November 9, 2016 sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken marked the end of a brazen crime that endangered lives and destroyed property.
Rowland pleaded guilty on August 5, 2016, to one count of First Degree Burglary, a federal offense due to jurisdiction over Indian Country. The attack wasn’t a smash-and-grab—it was arson-fueled destruction. By pouring gasoline at the door and lighting it, Rowland didn’t just steal; he turned a residence into a death trap. No one was injured, but the potential for catastrophe was undeniable.
U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Seiler didn’t mince words: “This was a violent invasion of someone’s sanctuary,” he said. “Stealing is one thing. Setting a home on fire is an act of recklessness that crosses the line.” Rowland now faces 18 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release. He’s also on the hook for a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, plus restitution to be calculated.
The investigation was led by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety—agencies often stretched thin yet relentless in holding violent offenders accountable on the reservation. Their work led to Rowland’s arrest and prosecution, a rare win in a region where justice can feel distant and delayed.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson, who prosecuted the case, emphasized that federal jurisdiction ensures serious crimes in Indian Country don’t slip through the cracks. “This sentence sends a message,” Patterson said. “We’re watching. We’re investigating. And we’re putting people like Rowland away.”
Immediately after sentencing, Rowland was handed over to the U.S. Marshals Service. No appeals were announced. As he begins his federal sentence, the charred remains of that trailer stand as a grim reminder: in Wounded Knee, crime burns hot—but so does justice.
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Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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