U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell | U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell | U.S. Department of Justice
A man from McLaughlin, South Dakota, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for voluntary manslaughter. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann on September 30, 2024.
Johnathan Guggolz, aged 48, will also serve three years of supervised release following his prison term and is required to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Guggolz was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2023 and entered a guilty plea on July 8, 2024.
The incident leading to the charges occurred on August 29, 2023, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation in McLaughlin. A confrontation between Guggolz and a 62-year-old man began when the latter pulled into a school driveway to pick up his wife. After being mocked by Guggolz over his driving, the older man armed himself with homemade nunchucks. In response to an attempted strike with these makeshift weapons, Guggolz punched him in the face. The victim fell backward and hit his head on concrete, resulting in a fatal traumatic brain injury.
Federal jurisdiction was invoked due to the Major Crimes Act which requires that specific violent crimes occurring in Indian country be prosecuted federally rather than at the state level.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies including the FBI, Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services, and Mobridge Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem led the prosecution.
Following sentencing, Johnathan Guggolz was placed under the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
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