PIERRE — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - South Dakota), published as received.

PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Judge Eric Schulte, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a man from Fort Thompson, South Dakota, convicted of Sexual Assault of a Minor.  The sentencing took place on July 13, 2026. 

Elijah Brown Thunder, age 29, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,444.70 in restitution and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Brown Thunder was indicted in April 2025.  He pleaded guilty on April 13, 2026.

In November, 2017 Brown Thunder engaged in a sexual act with a young victim between the age of 12 and 16.  Brown Thunder committed multiple acts of sexual abuse upon her, over an extended period. The sexual abuse occurred in the Crow Creek Sioux Indian Reservation.

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 brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people through the resolution of MMIP cases and communication, coordination, and collaboration with federal, Tribal, state, and local partners.  The Department views this work as a priority for its law enforcement components.  Through the MMIP Regional Outreach Program, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify MMIP cases and issues in Tribal communities and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  This prosecution upholds the Department’s mission to the unwavering pursuit of justice on behalf of victims and their families despite the passage of time.

This case was investigated by the FBI.  Missing and Murdered Indigenous Person Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Great Plains Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.

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