Former Sisseton-Wahpeton Housing Officials Plead Guilty to Embezzlement
No reply on file from the named party on this matter.
Claims entered
No claim has been entered on this docket.
1 filed · 1 on the record. The chronology below carries every filing, docket event and outcome — open a row there for its source.
Open to posting — anyone may add to this file, subject to the review queue.
The chronology
Gov, Institution and Public name who produced a document; Event marks a thing that happened, not a document.
1 entry of another class is hidden by this filter — show every class.
By when it happened. Rows with no date on their face are shown as undated, not guessed. Hover, focus or tap a row for its full detail.
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Eric Shepherd, age 53, of Wilmot, South Dakota, and Olivia Locke, age 60, of Sisseton, South Dakota, appeared before U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann on August 3, 2026, and pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Theft from a Program Receiving Federal Funds. The maximum penalty upon conviction is five years in custody, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered. Shepherd was the executive director of the Sisseton Wahpeton Housing Authority (SWHA) between September 2019 and July 2025. Locke was the chief financial officer. During that time, Locke and Shepherd issued and cashed over $3,500,000 in unauthorized SWHA checks for their personal enrichment. “Stealing from the government is stealing from the American people,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “Our federal prosecutors are dedicated to ensuring that criminals like these are caught and sentenced to federal prison, so it becomes abundantly clear that crime does not pay.” “Olivia Locke and Eric Shepherd abused their positions of trust by engaging in multiple fraud schemes and stealing more than $3.5 million in federal funds intended to serve some of the community’s most vulnerable residents,” said Special Agent in Charge Machelle Jindra with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “This is not an isolated act of misconduct but a deliberate effort that diverted millions of dollars in critical resources designed to assist those most in need. HUD OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and hold accountable individuals who misuse public funds and exploit positions of trust for personal gain.” The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the United States Attorney’s Office, and the Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date was set for November 9, 2026. The defendants were detained pending sentencing.
No crime on the record yet.
No statutes on the record yet.
No place on the record yet.
"“Our federal prosecutors are dedicated to ensuring that criminals like these are caught and sentenced to federal prison, so it becomes abundantly clear that crime does not pay.” “Olivia Locke and Eric Shepherd abused their positions of trust by engaging in multiple fraud schemes and stealing more than $3.5 million in federal funds intended to serve some of the community’s most vulnerable residents,” said Special Agent in Charge Machelle Jindra with the U.S."
"“Our federal prosecutors are dedicated to ensuring that criminals like these are caught and sentenced to federal prison, so it becomes abundantly clear that crime does not pay.” “Olivia Locke and Eric Shepherd abused their positions of trust by engaging in multiple fraud schemes and stealing more than $3.5 million in federal funds intended to serve some of the community’s most vulnerable residents,” said Special Agent in Charge Machelle Jindra with the U.S."
No parties on the record yet.
No amounts on the record yet.