Niobrara Man Pleads Guilty to Committing Burglary on the Santee Sioux Reservation

United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that on July 21, 2026, Clifford Jost pleaded guilty in United States District Court in Omaha, Nebraska, to committing burglary in Indian Country. Jost faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 14, 2026.

In December 2025, Jost took part in a string of burglaries in Knox and Cedar counties, including within the Santee Sioux Reservation. On about December 22, 2025, Jost unlawfully and without authority entered a garage in Bloomfield, Nebraska, which was within the Santee Sioux Reservation. Jost was involved in stealing numerous items from the residence, including a game camera, deer mounts, and two utility terrain vehicles. As part of the investigation, law enforcement obtained and analyzed surveillance footage, Snapchat data, Facebook data, and Verizon data. Surveillance footage from a gas station in Santee and from the residence showed Jost's role in the crime. Snapchat messages reflect Jost discussing the stolen utility terrain vehicles.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Knox County Sheriff's Office, the Cedar County Sheriff's Office, and the Santee Sioux Nation Police Department.