McLaughlin Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Burglary

ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a South Dakota man convicted of Third Degree Burglary. The sentencing took place on May 18, 2026.

Jack Daniel Thomas, age 31, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and over $5,000 in restitution to several victims.

Thomas was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2025. He pleaded guilty on September 16, 2025.

During the early morning hours of April 2, 2025, Thomas broke into several cars and the CHS storage shed in McLaughlin, South Dakota, in the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. He stole over $1,000 worth of tools from the storage shed and an iPad from one of the vehicles. He had committed several similar offenses in the past.

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 Corson County Sheriff's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.

Thomas was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to serve his federal sentence.