Pine Ridge Brothers Charged with Kidnapping

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that two brothers from Pine Ridge, South Dakota, were charged in federal district court with Kidnapping.  

Jesse Sierra, age 33, and Dustin Sierra, age 35, were charged on July 30, 2019.  Dustin Sierra appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on July 31, 2019, and Jesse Sierra appeared on August 2, 2019, and pleaded not guilty to the charge.  The maximum penalty upon conviction is life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 5 years supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  Restitution may also be ordered.

The charge relates to the Sierra brothers kidnapping a female from Rapid City, South Dakota, on July 13, 2019, transporting her against her will and holding her on the Pine Ridge Reservation for several days, and ultimately taking her across state lines to Nebraska.  On July 21, 2019, the victim was dropped off at the hospital in Chadron, Nebraska, with severe injuries, including broken bones and bruising to her face and body.

The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services, the Rapid City Police Department, the Nebraska State Patrol, and the Dawes County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather Sazama and Cassandra DeCoste are prosecuting the case.

Both Dustin Sierra and Jesse Sierra were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial.  A trial date has been set for October 8, 2019.