The mission of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota is to impartially enforce and uphold the laws of the United States. We are committed to improving public safety in our communities, protecting the financial interests of the United States, and ensuring equal justice for all under the law.
-Alison J. Ramsdell, United States Attorney
Meet the U.S. Attorney
Leadership
Alison J. Ramsdell
U.S. Attorney
Contact
Sioux Falls: (605) 330-4400
Email USAO-SD
The office of the United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota sees its roots in the United States Attorney for the District of Dakota Territory. Including parts of what are today Nebraska, Montana, and Wyoming along with all of what is North Dakota and South Dakota today, Dakota Territory was largely Lakota land ceded to the United States by the Yankton Treaty in 1858. In Sioux languages, Dakota means “allies.” Dakota Territory officially became an organized territory on March 2, 1861, shortly before Abraham Lincoln took his office. In 1863 the size of the territory was reduced to the area that is today North and South Dakota. From 1861 to 1883, the territorial capital was Yankton, now South Dakota. In 1883, the territorial capital was moved to Bismarck, now North Dakota, where it would remain until statehood. Coincidentally, the first governor of the Dakota Territory was President Abraham Lincoln’s own personal physician, William A. Jayne. The first territorial court of Dakota Territory was established in 1861 in Yankton. The first United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota was William E. Gleason.
Action Center
Find your local voting resources
Justice 101: Learn about the legal justice system
Report COVID-19 Crime
Disaster Fraud Hotline: Report fraud related to natural and man-made disasters
Report a Crime
Career Center
South Dakota Community Prosecution Strategy
Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee
Locate a Prison, Inmate or Sex Offender
Submit a Complaint
Report Waste, Fraud, Abuse or Misconduct to the Inspector General
Register, Apply for Permits, or Request Records
Identify our most wanted fugitives
Report and Identify Missing Persons
More Links
News
Press Release
Rapid City Woman Sentenced for Drug Trafficking
December 28, 2022
Press Release
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Over 12 Years for Meth Conspiracy
December 28, 2022
Press Release
Belle Fourche Woman Sentenced for Drug Trafficking
December 23, 2022
Press Release
Florida Man Sentenced for Wire Fraud
December 23, 2022
Press Release
Latvian Citizen Extradited from Norway Sentenced in Federal Court for Role in Money Laundering Conspiracy