Latest news with #MartyJackley
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Health
- Miami Herald
State health worker uses job to forge medical marijuana card, SD prosecutors say
A 24-year-old woman used her job as a state employee to forge her medical marijuana card, South Dakota prosecutors said. Alexandra Feiner, of Pierre, is now facing multiple criminal charges including forgery, offering false or forged instrument for filing, possession of a forged instrument and falsification of public records by a public officer or employee, the South Dakota State's Attorney's Office said in a June 2 news release. The woman was working for the South Dakota Department of Health where she was able to use her job to avoid medical provider certifications and fees necessary to obtain the card, according to prosecutors. She fraudulently obtained the card between March 2024 and March 2025, officials said. McClatchy News reached out to the South Dakota Department of Health but did not immediately receive a response. 'This type of conduct reflects poorly on those state government employees who work hard for South Dakotans,' Attorney General Marty Jackley said in a statement. According to court documents, the employee fraudulently created a new medical marijuana card for herself after her card obtained in 2023 expired, KELO reported. Officials said she had the ability to create and issue these cards through her work at the health department, according to the local news outlet. Marijuana is only legal for medical use in South Dakota after voters rejected a ballot measure to legalize recreational use in 2024, according to the South Dakota Searchlight. If convicted, Feiner faces up to 10 years in prison, according to the state's attorney's office. Pierre is about a 220-mile drive northwest from Sioux Falls.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
South Dakota law enforcement agencies want to assist ICE
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Two of South Dakota's top leaders want to assist ICE with its immigration and customs enforcement in the Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden and Attorney General Marty Jackley both spent this past week in Arizona and Texas touring the southern border and now they want some of their law enforcement agencies to be able to assist with ICE back home. South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden spent Tuesday visiting South Dakota National Guard troops in Eagle Pass, Texas and touring the Rio Grande by boat and by air. Following his visit, the governor sent a letter to the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Acting Director of ICE requesting a 287 G, which gives permission to allow the South Dakota Highway Patrol to assist ICE when it comes to stopping illegal immigrants and drugs from coming into the state. LIST: Memorial Day events in South Dakota 'What it does, I think it makes the process a lot easier, if they need help from our troopers we've already covered that ground and the agreement is already in place, we don't need to go through extra procedures to make that happen,' Rhoden said. Attorney General Marty Jackley did similar tours this week in that, Jackley announced he has authorized the South Dakota DCI to help federal authorities enforce federal immigration laws in the Talk a little bit about why you want to do this. Marty: Providing the DCI with additional federal illegal immigration authority will help us better protect South Dakotans when it comes to illegals who are committing criminal violence as well as those who are engaged in the drug says he's requested a 287 G, which authorizes the DCI to make the decision to deport illegal immigrants immediately once they've been it won't happen right away, DCI agents need to receive training first. 'So that will require agents to do 40 hours of online training, before it was much more challenging and difficult, the new administration has streamed lined it, but until we have those agents complete the 40 hours of training we do not have the authority,' Jackley said. Back in March, the Hughes and Minnehaha County Sheriff's Offices were approved for the program as warrant service officers. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
South Dakota Attorney General clarifies scope of immigration enforcement agreements with feds
Attorney General Marty Jackley listens to testimony at a Project Prison Reset meeting on April 29, 2025, in Springfield. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight) South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley shared Friday that the new immigration enforcement agreement he aims to enter into with federal authorities is the same type Gov. Larry Rhoden aims for, but said his agents will only use that authority in limited circumstances. The agreements let officials trained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ask people about their immigration status and make warrantless arrests for suspected violations. Jackley's requested agreement between ICE and the state Division of Criminal Investigation is limited in scope, however, he said in a Friday press release. 'To be clear, I am restricting the use of this federal authority to violent criminals and drug dealers,' Jackley said. Governor, attorney general visit the border and seek a bigger immigration enforcement role Jackley first announced his intent to pursue the agreement during a news conference this week with Republican attorneys general at the U.S.-Mexico border. At the time, the type of agreement was not specified. The news came via the release of Jackley's proposed agreement, which operates under Jackley's direction. ICE had not yet signed the shared agreement signed stateside byDCI Director Dan Satterlee. ICE offers three types of agreements under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. One, the Jail Enforcement Model, lets trained jailers ask those in their custody about their immigration status, and lets those jailers search ICE databases and issue immigration detention orders. Another trains local jail staff as ICE Warrant Service Officers, allowing them to serve immigration warrants obtained from a judge by ICE officers to inmates already in local custody. Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead and Hughes County Sheriff Patrick Callahan both made those types of agreements earlier this spring. The third type of agreement offers the broadest scope of authority to local officers. The Task Force Model trains locals who work outside detention centers to act as limited immigration agents, enabling them to ask those they encounter in the normal course of police business about their immigration status, and to arrest them if they're suspected of violating immigration law. The Obama administration discontinued the type in 2012 due to concerns about racial profiling and civil rights violations. They were revived by the Trump administration earlier this year. Jackley and Rhoden, both Republicans and potential 2026 gubernatorial candidates, have characterized their support for the agreements as moves showing them to be in lockstep with President Trump's immigration policies. While Jackley said in a press release that his agents would use their immigration enforcement authority in limited situations, Rhoden spokeswoman Josie Harms would not expand upon the scenarios under which state troopers would use their authority once an agreement is in place for the highway patrol. Taneeza Islam, CEO of South Dakota Voices for Peace, said the general message will make victims of labor and sex trafficking less likely to come forward, and lets perpetrators threaten to turn their victims in for deportation if they attempt to flee. 'You have legal protections if you come forward, but victims don't know that,' Islam said. ICE has authority and supervision over all immigration-related activities, according to Jackley's agreement. Authorities must undergo ICE-led training and pass federal exams. ICE covers training-related travel costs and provides instructors and materials. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Drugs inside the Pen: What a new facility might mean
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Per South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley, overdoses were 'likely' responsible for two recent prison deaths: 39-year-old inmate Jason Garreau was discovered unresponsive at the state penitentiary in Sioux Falls, and 24-year-old inmate Joshua Arrow was found at the nearby Jameson Annex. In the meantime, Project Prison Reset's task force examines where to recommend building a replacement for the state penitentiary currently sitting in Sioux Falls. 1.2 million yd³ of dirt moving on S. Veterans Parkway 'Let's just say we're at the new prison, and these inmates are still addicted to drugs but are receiving the proper treatment, maybe there'll be less pressure from the outside to get drugs in because that inmate isn't after it so bad,' said Republican state Rep. Greg Jamison, who sits on the task force. 'I think a lot of people sit in our prisons and … the only thing they spiral on is getting that next hit, right,' said Democratic state Sen. Jamie Smith, who is also on the task force. 'Got a lot of time to think. And hopefully we can help people learn how to think in a different way.' But drugs are making their way behind the walls. 'We have 62 open criminal files in the penitentiary right now,' South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley said Tuesday. 'A majority of those are controlled substance-related, and certainly that's a concern.' Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead, who sits on the task force with Smith and Jamison, points out how someone walking or driving by the current penitentiary has the opportunity to simply throw something over the prison wall situated right next to North Drive. 'It's not unusual for contraband to go over the walls at the state prison,' Milstead said. He also brings up in-person visits, which are not allowed at the Minnehaha County Jail. 'Quite frankly, as I said, if they continue to have contact visits, that's the weakest link,' Milstead said. 'It's nice to have a contact visit. We have found, though, that our video visitation, we have no complaints.' A new facility could bring with it significant change, but contraband is not a simple problem. 'Is it going to make it all better right away?' Smith said. 'No, there's many sophisticated systems that inmates have in order to do that.' 'A new prison has the opportunity to create better treatment facilities, better ways to prevent that addiction from continuing as they get out,' Jamison said. 'And the current prison is antiquated and doesn't have the space, doesn't have the resources to take care of those issues that are crystal clear to me.' In response to an interview request from KELOLAND's Dan Santella for this report, the state Department of Corrections sent a statement from Secretary of Corrections Kellie Wasko: 'A modern facility brings tangible barriers for drug introduction, the tactical design for drug detection devices, and an environment that will foster treatment, and over time, a decreased desire for drug use. Offenders will find that the new facility design doesn't allow for the many opportunities to hide contraband as the current Penitentiary does.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Jackley and other AGs oppose AI budget amendment
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley and 39 other Attorneys General are opposing a proposed congressional budget amendment that would impose a 10-year prohibition on states from enforcing any state law or regulation addressing artificial intelligence (AI) and automated decision-making systems. DHS wants $50M jet for Noem, Coast Guard 'As Attorney General, I fully support the State's ability to impose reasonable regulations on AI within South Dakota,' said Attorney General Jackley. 'AI has its benefits, but left unchecked, it could lead to real dangers to the public ranging from explicit material and election interference to deception, exploitation, and harassment against consumers,' Jackley said in a news release. The amendment would be part of the budget reconciliation bill if approved. The Attorneys General have sent a letter to congressional leadership expressing their concern, according to the news release. Recommendations for SD DOC could cost $2.1 billion Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
