South Dakota
Former South Dakota state employee pleads not guilty to 50 child pornography charges
A former South Dakota state employee is scheduled to have a jury trial after he was charged with dozens of alleged child pornography crimes.
Mohammad Ghosheh, 25, of Brookings pleaded not guilty April 28 to 50 counts of possession of child pornography during an arraignment hearing in Brookings County Circuit Court, according to a release from the South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley. Ghosheh also entered a not guilty plea on one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, court records show.
Ghosheh worked as an economic assistance benefits specialist for the state Department of Social Services. He no longer works for the agency, according to Open SD.
Possession of child pornography is a class 4 felony and carries a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in prison for first offenses. Ghosheh faces a minimum of one year in prison on each count, according to the April 28 press release.
Ghosheh was initially charged with 11 counts of possession of child pornography, according to a March 26 press release, but Jackley in the initial statement stated “further charges may be filed.”
Ghosheh was arrested March 25. He was later released on a $10,000 cash bond.
A jury trial is scheduled for 9 a.m. Aug. 13.
DCI investigated Ghosheh following cyber tip tied to missing North Carolina teen
The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children involving a missing 15-year-old girl, according to the initial press release.
The cyber tip identified Ghosheh as someone who had allegedly been chatting to a girl from North Carolina, according to the complaint. In their conversations, Ghosheh allegedly mentioned flying to North Carolina to see the girl days before her disappearance if he “liked what he saw,” according to the complaint.
The complaint then alleges he asked the girl for nude images of herself. The girl was later found in North Carolina with a different man.
According to previous Argus Leader reporting, police found what is referred to in the criminal complaint as a “sex kidnapping kit” during a search warrant on Ghosheh’s car. Items allegedly in the kit included “kids movies, adult sex games, alcohol, THC products, sex toys, binding material, a blow-up mattress and bedding.”
Similar items were found in Ghosheh’s residence, according to the complaint.
“The charges reflect the seriousness of having a 15-year-old victim involved in this case,” Jackley said in the Monday evening press release.
South Dakota
SD Lottery Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 8, 2026
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 8, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 8 drawing
01-31-32-45-52, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
- Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
- Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.
When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.
South Dakota
Kristi Noem’s term as governor freshly roasted by former South Dakota mayor: ‘She did a Sarah Palin’
Kristi Noem’s stint as governor of South Dakota has come under fresh scrutiny by a former local mayor, who said she “did a ‘Sarah Palin’ and quit,” just days after she was fired from her role as Homeland Security secretary.
Noem, who served as governor from 2019 to 2025, became the first cabinet member to be fired by Trump during his second term.
The embarrassing dismissal came amid growing scrutiny of her aggressive immigration operations across the country, DHS’s purchase of multiple luxury jets for staff, major reductions in FEMA staff, and rumors of an affair with adviser Corey Lewandowski.
Mike Levsen, the former mayor of Aberdeen in Noem’s home state of South Dakota, says her dismissal came as no surprise given her “lack of any significant accomplishment” during her time as governor of the state.
“The Noem governorship covered six years — then did a ‘Sarah Palin’ and quit,” Levsen wrote in a blog post, comparing Noem to the former Alaska Gov. who resigned midway through her first term, citing mounting legal fees being brought by various ethics investigations being brought against her. Palin was Senator John McCain’s running mate during the 2008 presidential election.
Kristi Noem’s tenure as governor has come under criticism following her firing as DHS secretary (AFP/Getty)
“Her legacy was minimal involvement with the Legislature, frequent absences, no transparency, repeated operational screwups, soaring turnover and instances of self-dealing for herself and her family,” Levsen wrote.
Levsen criticized Noem’s Covid-era ad campaign, “Freedom Works Here,” as a “Trump-based ploy that likely contributed to South Dakota’s listing high on some periodical per capita death lists.”
The campaign, which attempted to draw new residents to the state, cost $6.5 million, and South Dakota News Watch reported at the time that there were “hurdles” with the campaign.
Levsen also noted Noem’s “difficult relationship” with tribal governments, as all nine of South Dakota’s indigenous tribes voted in 2024 to ban Noem from their lands, according to CNN.
“Is there a single thing in South Dakota now better as a result of her time in office?” Levsen questioned in the post.
Noem was fired by Trump amidst mounting scrutiny over fallout in Minnesota, following DHS’s disastrous Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, which saw two U.S. citizens shot dead in confrontations with federal agents.
Noem described the two Americans, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, as domestic terrorists. She has refused to apologize for the comments.
She also drew fierce criticism with her purchase of multiple luxury jets, a $220 million ad campaign, gutting FEMA, and her rumored affair with Lewandowski.
Noem was axed by President Donald Trump in a Truth Social post Thursday (Getty)
The final nail in the coffin appears to have been Noem’s congressional testimony this past week, during which lawmakers from both sides of the aisle criticized her management and judgment.
A day after her second hearing, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Noem was out at DHS — and that he was nominating Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin to replace her.
An administration official told NBC News that the president axed Noem due to “a culmination of her many unfortunate leadership failures, including the fallout in Minnesota, the ad campaign, the allegations of infidelity, the mismanagement of her staff, and her constant feuding with the heads of other agencies, including CBP and ICE.”
“Kristi’s drama sadly overshadowed and distracted from the Administration’s extremely popular immigration agenda, which will continue full force,” the official added.
Before she was fired, Noem defended her performance during her hearings on Capitol Hill.
She also drew fire for insisting that the $220 million DHS ad campaign had been launched with the president’s approval, which Trump has denied.
Days after her humiliating firing, Trump named Noem as special envoy for “The Shield of the Americas,” a new security initiative that Trump says will focus on the Western Hemisphere.
South Dakota
SD Lottery Powerball, Lotto America winning numbers for March 7, 2026
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 7, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from March 7 drawing
17-18-30-50-68, Powerball: 24, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from March 7 drawing
06-08-17-18-45, Star Ball: 05, ASB: 05
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Dakota Cash numbers from March 7 drawing
01-02-06-22-26
Check Dakota Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 7 drawing
10-32-45-53-54, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
- Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
- Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.
When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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