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Press Release

Three Sentenced In Wire Fraud Case

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of South Dakota

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, woman, her husband, and her son were sentenced on April 29, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.  
         
On October 10, 2012, Shannon Running, age 55, and Norman Running, Sr., age 55, both of Rosebud, and their son Norman Running, Jr., age 35, of Soldier Creek, were all indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.  Shannon was also charged with six counts of Wire Fraud, and Norman, Jr. was also charged with Structuring Currency Transactions. 
         
Shannon and Norman, Sr. both pled guilty to the conspiracy charge on February 4, 2014.  The other charges against Shannon were dismissed. On the same date, Norman, Jr. pled guilty to a Superseding Information charging him with Larceny, and the original Indictment against him was dismissed.

Shannon was sentenced to 51 months in custody, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release.  She was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $405,790.

Norman, Sr. was sentenced to 3 years of probation.  He was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $35,832.80.

Norman, Jr. was sentenced to 3 years of probation.  He was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $10,130.

In approximately June of 2009, Shannon Running contacted an acquaintance in California and told him that she expected to receive a large inheritance from her grandmother, which was untrue.  Shannon requested that the victim provide her and her family with financial assistance, and assured him he would be repaid from her inheritance. 

The victim was unable to provide the entire amount of financial support requested by Shannon, so he recruited some of his friends to loan money to the Running family as well. 

The victims were contacted by e-mail and were instructed to send money via Western Union, MoneyGram, and other wire transfer methods.  All three defendants benefitted from the scheme.
         
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.
         
Shannon Running was allowed to self-surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service on May 6, 2014, and the two other defendants immediately began their terms of probation.


Updated June 22, 2015