PIERRE – In a harsh reminder of the consequences for those who fail to comply with sex offender registration laws, 37-year-old Gary Drum of Mission, South Dakota, was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison on April 15, 2024.
District Court Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange handed down the sentence after Drum pleaded guilty to Failure to Register as a Sex Offender in February 2024. Drum was initially convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in U.S. District Court, District of Montana, on June 22, 2015.
As a result of this conviction, Drum was required to comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. However, his compliance was short-lived. In 2022, Drum was ordered to serve a jail sentence after a conviction in Fort Peck Tribal Court. He served his sentence at the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Adult Corrections Facility and remained in the area after his release.
Drum initially resided at a residence in the North Antelope Community, but his residency was marked by repeated run-ins with the law. He was arrested at least twice for tribal charges and served additional time in custody. Despite his tumultuous past, Drum was released from custody on October 31, 2023, but failed to update his address with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Sex Offender Registration Office within three business days.
Drum’s failure to register was not taken lightly. He was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. According to the Department of Justice, this case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler prosecuting the case. Drum was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, bringing a sense of closure to a case marked by repeated failures to comply with the law.
The harsh sentence serves as a stark reminder of the consequences for those who fail to comply with sex offender registration laws. As the nation grapples with the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, cases like Drum’s serve as a necessary step in holding perpetrators accountable for their actions.
Related Federal Cases
- Mission Man Sentenced for Sex Offender Registration Blunder · Wisconsin
- Minnesota Sex Offender Gets 16 Months for Failing to Register · Minnesota
- Minnesota Sex Offender Sentenced for Failing to Register · Minnesota
- Convicted Sex Offender Jailed for Failing to Register · Massachusetts
- Dupree Sex Offender Sentenced for Failing to Register · South Dakota
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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