Wanblee Man Sentenced to Four Years for Failing to Register as Sex Offender, Assaulting Man with Knife

Wanblee Man Sentenced to Four Years for Failing to Register as Sex Offender, Assaulting Man with Knife

RAPID CITY – A South Dakota man is behind bars for putting his community at risk by failing to register as a sex offender and brutally assaulting a man with a knife.

Richard Lorn Brown, 28, of Wanblee, South Dakota, was sentenced to a total of four years in federal prison for his crimes, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Brown was convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. He was sentenced to 18 months for the Failure to Register charge and 30 months for the Assault charge, with the sentences to run consecutively.

The conviction stems from Brown’s failure to update his sex offender registration in July 2022 and then stabbing a man with a knife in July 2023. Brown was indicted for the crimes in July 2023 and pleaded guilty on January 26, 2024.

The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office due to the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute that mandates certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to state court.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, FBI, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.

Brown was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after the sentencing, ensuring he will face the consequences of his actions.

The community can rest a little easier knowing that a violent offender is off the streets, but the real question is – what drove Brown to commit such heinous crimes in the first place?

The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work tirelessly to ensure justice is served and the community remains safe.