Tea Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment Plus 10 Years for Sex Trafficking of a Child by Force and Solicitation to Murder a Federal Witness

SIOUX FALLS, SD—Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Tea, South Dakota man who pled guilty to sex trafficking of a child by force and solicitation to murder a federal witness was sentenced on Friday, April 15, 2011. Brandon Quincy Thompson appeared before Chief U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier and was sentenced to life imprisonment on Count 12 (sex trafficking of a child by force) and 120 months for Count 19 (solicitation to murder a federal witness) of the second superseding indictment, to be served consecutively, a $5,000 fine, and a $200 assessment to the Victim Assistance Fund.

Thompson was originally indicted for sex trafficking of children, transportation of children for criminal sexual activity, and obstruction of sex trafficking enforcement by a federal grand jury on December 1, 2009. A second superseding indictment was filed October 5, 2010, charging Thompson with 21 separate counts, including sex trafficking of children; sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; transportation of children for criminal sexual activity; solicitation to murder a federal witness; obstruction of sex trafficking enforcement; sexual exploitation of a child; transportation of child pornography; possession of child pornography; possession of firearm in relation to federal crime of violence; fraudulent use of Social Security number; and aggravated identity theft. He pled guilty on November 16, 2010.

As part of his plea, Thompson admitted that he knowingly trafficked a person he knew to be a juvenile to customers willing to pay to engage in commercial sex acts with that juvenile. He knew force, fraud, or coercion was used to cause the juvenile to engage in the sex acts. He also received a portion of the proceeds from those sex acts.

Thompson also admitted that between February 1, 2010, and April 6, 2010, while he was housed at the Minnehaha County Jail, he solicited another person to murder someone in an effort to prevent that person from testifying against him in his case.

“Today marks the transformation of Brandon Thompson from sex trafficker to federal prisoner. His days of exploiting girls and young women are over.” U.S. Attorney Johnson said. “This investigation was truly a joint effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. I want to commend the officers and agents who worked so hard for justice in this case, as well as the victims whose fortitude and courage helped us unravel the details of this appalling crime.”

This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tea Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Koliner prosecuted the case.

Thompson was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshal.