Pine Ridge Man Found Guilty of First Degree Murder

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Colton Bagola, age 29, of Pine Ridge, South Dakota, was found guilty of First Degree Murder and Discharge of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence following a federal jury trial in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on October 28, 2022.

The murder charge carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine. 

Bagola was indicted by a federal grand jury in January of 2020. 

The conviction stems from Bagola shooting a 30-year-old male in the back of the head and killing him, on December 17, 2019, at Pine Ridge.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. 

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Poppen and Gina Nelson prosecuted the case.

A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date will be set. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.