DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
District of South Dakota

For Immediate Release

Thursday, February 17, 2022
Dennis R. Holmes
, United States Attorney

Pine Ridge Woman Charged With Discharging a Firearm During an Assault and First Degree Burglary

United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Discharge and Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, First Degree Burglary, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.

Samantha Red Feather, age 31, was indicted on January 20, 2022.  She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on February 4, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in prison, and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for each charge.  Restitution may also be ordered.

The charges relate to Red Feather entering a residence at Pine Ridge and shooting the owner on October 27, 2021.  The charges are merely accusations and Red Feather is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

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. 

The investigation is being conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Safety and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen is prosecuting the case.

Red Feather was released on bond pending trial.  A trial date has been set for April 12, 2022.

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St. Paul Field Division