Toby Magnuson, Attempted Trafficking in Involuntary Servitude or Forced Labor, South Dakota 2016

A New Effington man has been sentenced to 6 years in prison for his role in a sex trafficking operation that targeted underage girls during the 2015 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Toby Magnuson, 45, was one of four men arrested and federally indicted as a result of an undercover operation conducted by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s office.

Magnuson was convicted of Attempted Trafficking in Involuntary Servitude or Forced Labor and was sentenced on August 15, 2016, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court. He was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

According to court documents, Magnuson responded to an online advertisement posted by Division of Criminal Investigation undercover agents, which purported to offer young girls for sex. He proceeded to negotiate with a person he believed to be associated with a 15-year-old girl, but who was in fact an undercover agent.

The undercover operation was a joint effort between several law enforcement agencies, including the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Collins prosecuted the case.

Magnuson was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshal’s Service after his sentencing.

Mandatory Facts:

Defendant: Toby Magnuson
Criminal Charges: Attempted Trafficking in Involuntary Servitude or Forced Labor
City and State: New Effington, South Dakota
Date: August 15, 2016
Sentence: 6 years of imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release
Dollar Amount: $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund

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