Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

FARGO, N.D. – U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that on Jan. 18, Daniel Saydee Cisse, 19, of Fargo, was sentenced by Chief District Judge Peter Welte to 11 years in federal prison and 5 years supervised released for conspiracy to tamper with a witness.

On Sept. 25, 2023, Cisse pleaded guilty for his role in assaulting a federal witness in the Cass County jail on Jan. 14, 2023. As noted at the plea hearing, co-conspirators planned and arranged to assault the federal witness with the intent to influence, delay or prevent the witness from testifying in an official proceeding and to prevent him from providing information to law enforcement regarding the drug-related homicide of Santino Marial. Marial was shot to death in Fargo on Aug. 28, 2020.

Co-defendants Jesse James Burnett and Shaquiel Anthony Mendez are currently set for trial on July 16.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Fargo Police Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Department and the Cass County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher C. Myers and Jacob T. Rodenbiker.

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