June 2026:
Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on June 15, 2026.
Eugene Leon Featherman, 37, was sentenced to one year and 11 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Featherman was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in September 2025. He pleaded guilty on April 7, 2026.
Featherman was previously convicted of a federal sex offense. Because of his prior conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender. Featherman was aware of his obligation to register and to keep his registration current with officials within the county in which he resided. Nonetheless, from late June through September 2025, Featherman knowingly failed to register and update his registration.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson prosecuted the case.
Featherman was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to serve his federal sentence.
This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Unit, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
JANUARY 2024:
A federal judge has sentenced a Sioux Falls man to prison after he was again convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Eugene Featherman, age 35, was sentenced to 22 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Featherman was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in April of 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 23, 2023.
Featherman was previously convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in U.S. District Court, District of South Dakota. As a result of this conviction, he is required to comply with the Sex Offender
Registration and Notification Act, which includes registering within three business days of any change in residence, employment, or student status. In November of 2022, Featherman relocated from Rapid City to Sioux Falls and properly registered with the Sioux Falls Police Department. Investigation revealed that beginning January 25, 2023, Featherman was no longer staying at his registered address. His whereabouts were unknown until April 27, 2023, when he was arrested in Rapid City.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler prosecuted the case.
APRIL 2022:
A Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender has received his punishment from a US District Court judge.
Eugene Leon Featherman, age 33, was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Featherman was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in October 2011. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender and to update his registration within three business days of relocation or changing employment. On February 26, 2021, Featherman updated his sex offender registration to reflect that he was residing at an address in Sioux Falls. On May 30, 2021, Featherman subsequently failed to reside at his registered address. Between June 3, 2021, and June 14, 2021, Featherman failed to properly register as a sex offender and update his registration.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service.
OCTOBER 2021:
A federal jury has indicted a Sioux Falls man for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
33 year old Eugene Leon Featherman pled not guilty.
The Indictment alleges that between July 19, 2021, and September 7, 2021, in the District of South Dakota, Featherman a person required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and a sex offender by reason of a conviction under federal law, knowingly failed to register and update his registration.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, mandatory minimum five years of supervised release, up to life, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler is prosecuting the case.
Featherman was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial.
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