Porcupine Man Sentenced to Forty Years in Federal Prison

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Porcupine, South Dakota, man convicted of two counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor and one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on May 16, 2024.

Wilbur Morrison, age 36, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release on each count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor, and 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release for the charge of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. He was also ordered to pay a total of $300 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for the three convictions. The prison sentences and periods of supervision shall be served concurrently.

Morrison was indicted for the charges by a federal grand jury in May of 2023. He was found guilty following a federal jury trial in Rapid City, South Dakota, in February of 2024.

On the evening of January 12, 2023, Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety was dispatched to Morrison’s residence for a report of a physical assault between Morrison and his adult brother. Law enforcement learned from a neighbor that Morrison was intoxicated and sexually abusing the victim in the living room of the home. The victim, including other children in the home, ran to the neighbor’s house where the incident was reported to law enforcement. All children were forensically interviewed by the Child Advocacy Center in Rapid City. The victim disclosed sexual abuse occurring on the evening of January 12, 2023, and on at least one other occasion.

This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.

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

Morrison was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.