BROOKINGS — A Sioux Falls resident will be spending nearly a decade in the South Dakota State Penitentiary after being convicted for his seventh DUI in a 25-year span.
Wilson J. Big Crow, 47, was sentenced by Judge David Wheeler in Brookings County Circuit Court on March 24 to 10 years in prison, with one year suspended. In South Dakota, it’s a Class 4 felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine.
“Impaired drivers pose a significant danger to our community. Working closely with our law enforcement partners, we presented the case to a jury, and they returned a guilty verdict,” Brookings County State’s Attorney Dan Nelson said. The verdict was handed down on Feb. 19. “The judge appropriately determined that Mr. Big Crow needed to be removed from our community to ensure our streets remain safe.”
The case stemmed from a May 5, 2025, incident in Brookings where Big Crow was pulled over by an officer with the Brookings Police Department for, according to a probable cause statement, following too closely. The officer wrote that he detected the odor of burnt marijuana coming from Big Crow’s vehicle and, after a series of tests and exercises, determined he wasn’t able to safely operate the vehicle.
As part of his sentence, Big Crow’s driving privileges will be revoked for five years upon his release from prison, and he must also pay court costs.
Big Crow was also found guilty by the jury for driving with a revoked license. It’s a Class 1 misdemeanor, and he was fined $96.50 in addition to having a one-year jail sentence suspended.
— Contact Mondell Keck at [email protected].
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