Peever Man Charged with Interstate Domestic Violence, Kidnapping, and Possession of Firearm by Prohibited Person

 United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Peever, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Interstate Domestic Violence, Kidnapping, and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

Brandon Lee Renville, age 29, was indicted on January 12, 2021.  He last appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes on February 12, 2021, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.

According to the Indictment, on or about November 6, 2020, Renville caused his spouse to travel in interstate commerce and to enter and leave Indian country by force, coercion, duress, and fraud, and in the course of and as a result of that conduct, he intentionally committed or attempted to commit a crime of violence, that is, an assault or attempted assault with a dangerous weapon. 

On or about December 21, 2020, Renville, being an unlawful user of a controlled substance, and knowing he was an unlawful user of a controlled substance, knowingly possessed a firearm.

The maximum penalties upon conviction are ten years (interstate domestic violence and the firearm charge) up to life imprisonment (kidnapping); a maximum $250,000 fine, or both fine and imprisonment; a maximum term of three (3) to five (5) years of supervised release; and $100 to $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. 

The charges are merely accusations and Renville is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

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 the 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 the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

The investigation is being conducted by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Sioux Tribe’s Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.   

Renville was detained pending trial.  A trial date has been set for April 13, 2021.