MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Kevin Hunter, 33, of Kyle has been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter in connection with a 2024 fatal crash near Kyle.
U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler sentenced Hunter on Dec. 1, 2025, to 46 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hunter was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2024 and pleaded guilty on Sept. 2, 2025. According to court records, on May 15, 2024, Hunter was driving his pickup while under the influence of alcohol and traveling more than 80 mph when he crossed into an oncoming lane and struck a van, killing the passenger. Investigators said Hunter fled the scene without calling 911 and later lied about his whereabouts.
Judge Theeler imposed a sentence at the top of the federal guidelines, citing Hunter’s history of prior DUI convictions and the need to protect the public.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office under the Major Crimes Act, which requires certain violent offenses occurring in Indian Country to be handled in federal court. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division. Hunter was remanded to the U.S. Marshals Service following sentencing.
