Department of Justice

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that two Rapid City, South Dakota, men convicted of Carjacking Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, Discharge of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person were sentenced on August 13, 2020, by Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.

Moses Crowe, age 27, was convicted by a jury of all three charges and was sentenced to a total of 22 1/2 years in federal prison as to the Carjacking conviction. Crowe was also sentenced to two 5-year terms of supervised release, to run concurrently, and was ordered to pay a total of $300 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Ranson Long Pumpkin, age 33, was convicted by the same jury of Aiding and Abetting, Carjacking Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Discharge of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. Long Pumpkin was sentenced to a total of 20 years in federal prison. Long Pumpkin was also sentenced to two 5-year terms of supervised release, to run concurrently, and was ordered to pay a total of $200 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Saul Crowe earlier pleaded guilty on January 25, 2019, to Carjacking and Discharge of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, and was sentenced on June 21, 2019, to serve just over 20 years in federal prison.

Evidence at trial established that Moses Crowe, Long Pumpkin, and Saul Crowe carjacked an occupied van by force on October 13, 2017. Together, the men held the victim at gunpoint and repeatedly strangled him to unconsciousness. The men drove the victim to an isolated area north of Rapid City, where they pistol-whipped and severely beat him. Using two different semi-automatic pistols, Moses Crowe and Saul Crowe each fired multiple rounds near the victim, while Long Pumpkin continued to physically assault him.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team; the Rapid City Police Department; the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office; the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and the RCPD/PCSO Special Response Team. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather Sazama and Gina Nelson prosecuted and tried the case. ATF Special Agent Riley Cook was the lead case agent.

Crowe and Long Pumpkin were immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

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