RAPID CITY, S.D. – A Rapid City man has been sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated assault and simple assault in two separate 2025 incidents.
Twenty-three-year-old Bentley Stands was sentenced Thursday in Pennington County Circuit Court. Prosecutors say one incident involved a severe assault in April in which the victim suffered serious facial injuries and required medical treatment. A second incident occurred two months later and involved threats and an assault against a different victim.
Prosecutors requested the five-year sentence, while defense attorneys argued for probation, citing Stands’ youth, remorse, and struggles with alcohol abuse. They also noted that both victims had died before the cases concluded, although officials emphasized their deaths were unrelated to the assaults.
Judge Heidi Linngren acknowledged the community support shown for Stands and said she believes he still has the potential for a positive future. However, she also expressed concern about his continued issues with alcohol and the seriousness of the offenses.
Stands will serve a five-year prison sentence as part of the court’s ruling.
