A McLaughlin, South Dakota man has been sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for pressuring a juvenile victim to stay silent after a violent assault. Todd Stands Alone, f/k/a Todd Brave Crow, age 37, was sentenced on January 5, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann after pleading guilty to Tampering with a Witness, Victim, or an Informant.
The crime unfolded on the evening of January 23, 2015, when the teenage girl reported to her family that she had been physically attacked by an adult relative while babysitting. Instead of support, she was met with silence—immediately instructed not to speak to anyone about the beating. That cover-up spiraled into a days-long campaign of intimidation orchestrated by Stands Alone.
Stands Alone, the girl’s relative, repeatedly told her not to talk to police, family members, or any authority figure. He badgered and manipulated her until she no longer knew whom to trust. His pressure wasn’t isolated—he enlisted his mother and others in the family to reinforce the silence, creating an environment of fear and isolation around the victim.
Indicted by a federal grand jury on February 11, 2015, Stands Alone held out for nearly a year before entering a guilty plea on July 18, 2016. He now faces 36 months in federal custody, followed by 1 year of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Agency led the investigation into the tampering, navigating a complex family web designed to shield violence from justice. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley, who emphasized the severity of silencing victims in federal court.
Immediately after sentencing, Stands Alone was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service. The conviction marks a rare federal intervention in familial witness suppression on tribal land—a warning that efforts to obstruct justice will be met with federal time.
Related Federal Cases
- Bullhead Man Oka Faces Years for Brutal Assault, Witness Tampering · South Dakota
- Felon Gets 2+ Years for Illegal Gun · South Dakota
- Miles Condon Indicted in Dupree Assault Spree · South Dakota
- Waubay Man Charged in Cover-Up of Fatal Assault · South Dakota
- Matthew Long Crow Charged in Knife Kidnapping, Assault · South Dakota
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
