A pre-dawn smash-and-grab at the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Head Start Administration Building spiraled into a cross-state crime spree when Jonathan Yellow Eyes, 23, of Mission, South Dakota, broke in and walked out with keys to a tribal vehicle. The burglary occurred in the early morning hours of December 6, 2017, marking the start of a federal case that ended in a 15-month prison sentence.
Yellow Eyes didn’t just steal office items—he grabbed the keys to a Head Start program vehicle parked nearby. After exiting the building, he located the vehicle, hotwired it, and fled with it. The stolen vehicle was later found dumped and abandoned in Sioux Falls, over 100 miles from the scene, a silent testament to the reach of his crime.
Indicted by a federal grand jury on September 11, 2018, Yellow Eyes faced the full weight of federal prosecution. On February 19, 2019, he pled guilty to Third Degree Burglary, cutting short a trial but not sparing him from prison time. The plea came after evidence compiled by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services laid bare his actions.
On May 13, 2019, U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange handed down the sentence: 15 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release. Yellow Eyes was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund—a small sum, but a permanent mark on his record.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case, emphasizing the violation of trust and the targeting of a vulnerable community program. The Head Start facility serves young children and families, and its breach sent shockwaves through the Rosebud reservation. Tribal leaders condemned the crime as both a legal and moral transgression.
Immediately after sentencing, Yellow Eyes was turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. No appeals were announced. The case stands as a stark reminder: crimes against tribal institutions are not forgotten—and in federal court, they don’t go unpunished.
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Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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