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Federal Jury Convicts Jimmy Pilcher of Assault and Witness Tampering Charges
Rapid City, SD – A federal jury has convicted 49-year-old Jimmy Pilcher of Porcupine, South Dakota, of Assault by Strangulation and Suffocation, three counts of Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to a Spouse, Intimate Partner, or Dating Partner, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and Witness Tampering, following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota.
The verdict was returned on April 9, 2026. The charges carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine, and a $600 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Pilcher was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2026. According to court documents, Pilcher began a romantic relationship with the victim in the wintertime of 2024. Shortly after their relationship started, Pilcher began controlling the victim by monitoring her communications with others.
When Pilcher started to lose control of his victim, he began assaulting her and using other forms of mental and emotional manipulation on her. In July 2025, Pilcher saw a picture of the victim with another male and accused her of cheating on him. Pilcher became enraged and punched the victim in the face and stomach and pulled her hair.
Pilcher then strangled the victim over a kitchen sink. This strangulation caused the victim to see flashes of light and impeded her ability to breathe. The next day she received medical attention at Indian Health Services, and the staff observed injuries consistent with abuse, including bruising around her neck.
In October 2025, Pilcher assaulted the same victim in the head and face inside a truck in rural Pine Ridge. Witnesses intervened and were able to get the victim away from Pilcher. The Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety responded to the scene and arrested Pilcher.
Following his arrest, Pilcher began contacting the victim from within the jail. Pilcher was able to convince the victim not to show up for court and was eventually released from jail. A tribal protection order was, however, still in effect. On December 5, 2025, in violation of the protection order, Pilcher took the victim inside his truck and drove to a field away from his residence.
The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Category: Violent Crime|Assault|Witness Tampering
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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