McLaughlin Man Charged with Kidnapping and Assault

ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man for Kidnapping, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.

Elias Glen Sims, age 18, was indicted in January of 2023. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on January 17, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $300 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

The Indictment alleges that in November of 2022, at McLaughlin, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation, Sims kidnapped and assaulted another person with a handgun.  

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The charge is merely an accusation and Sims is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook is prosecuting the case. 

Sims was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.