Sioux Empire Today

A jury in Rapid City, South Dakota, has found Anfernee Rondeau guilty of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor. The verdict was delivered on May 22, 2025, following a three-day trial in federal district court.

United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced the conviction. Rondeau, aged 28 and from Wounded Knee, South Dakota, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years up to life imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine. Additional penalties include at least five years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Rondeau was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2024. Evidence presented during the trial detailed events from April 4, 2024. That evening, Rondeau returned home with his girlfriend and her six-year-old daughter after drinking heavily. In the bedroom they entered together, a nearby 13-year-old heard crying and discovered Rondeau on top of the child with both parties partially undressed. The witness intervened by pushing Rondeau off and taking the child to another family member.

The Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted investigations leading to Rondeau's arrest by tribal authorities the day after the incident.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen led the prosecution. A presentence investigation has been ordered while sentencing is pending; meanwhile, Rondeau remains in custody under U.S. Marshals Service supervision.