Jury Finds McLaughlin Man Guilty of Sexual Abuse of Adopted Children
| U.S. Attorney’s Office August 29, 2011 |
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Michael Seibel, age 40, of McLaughlin, South Dakota, was convicted August 26, 2011, of four counts related to his sexual abuse of two adopted children on the Standing Rock Reservation as a result of a federal jury trial in Aberdeen. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 34 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both.
Seibel was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2011 for aggravated sexual abuse of a child, sexual abuse of a minor, abusive sexual contact with a minor, and child abuse. Seibel was found not guilty of several counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child and child abuse. The charges were the result of Seibel’s sexual assault on two Native American victims between November 2002 and December 2010.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Agency and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mikal Hanson.
The defendant was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.