Burleigh County State's Attorney's Office

09/01/2026

On September 1, 2026, Jerry Rayburn pled guilty to Theft – Possession Over $50,000, a class A felony, and Driving Under the Influence (DUI), a class B misdemeanor.

On July 26, 2026, the Bismarck Police Department responded to reports of a traffic collision where the driver was attempting to leave the scene. Upon arrival, officers located Arizona resident Jerry Rayburn inside a 2023 Volvo D6J front-end payloader. Officers detected the odor of alcohol and observed Rayburn’s eyes to be bloodshot. He consented to a chemical breath test and subsequently blew a 0.118. Rayburn admitted he stole the payloader in Mandan, drove it across the Expressway Bridge to Bismarck, and said he was on his way to a church on Broadway to retrieve some of his belongings.

Rayburn was sentenced to 7 years in custody with five years suspended, followed by three years of supervised probation with the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. While incarcerated, he is required to obtain a chemical dependency evaluation and complete any recommended treatment. Additionally, he was ordered to pay $3,697.88 in restitution to the collision victim, in monthly payments of at least $125 upon his release from incarceration, as well as a $500 fine.

08/28/2026

On August 27, 2026, Kody Brackett was sentenced to five years in custody with three years suspended, following a guilty plea to the charge of Negligent Homicide, a class C felony. He will serve his two years of imprisonment at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCR). Upon release, he will have three years of supervised probation with the DOCR.

The charge came from an incident on May 1, 2023, when the Bismarck Police Department received reports of a vehicle vs. pedestrian accident that had occurred at the intersection of East Main Avenue and 7th Street. Brackett was heading west on East Main Avenue and facing a flashing yellow turn signal, when he accelerated rapidly and failed to yield to eastbound traffic and a pedestrian who was in the crosswalk, striking 63-year-old Mandan resident Cyril Kalinowski at an estimated speed of 20 mph. Mr. Kalinowski died from his injuries the following day.

At the sentencing hearing, several members of Mr. Kalinowski’s family addressed the court, noting his dedication to protecting others, as shown in his 30+ year law enforcement career in both New York and North Dakota. Brackett also spoke, apologizing and expressing remorse.

Judge Daniel Borgen presided over the hearing. In addition to the incarceration, Judge Borgen also required that Brackett obtain chemical dependency and mental health evaluations, and complete the Thinking for a Change program while incarcerated.

08/27/2026

08/18/2026

𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐤, 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐚𝐤𝐨𝐭𝐚 - On August 18, 2026, Henry Martin was charged with one count of Terrorizing (a class C Felony). The charge stems from a call the Bismarck Police Department received regarding an unwanted person. When officers arrived and began to take the defendant into custody for an outstanding warrant, Martin began to make comments threatening an officer and his family.

At the initial hearing, Judge Cynthia Feland ordered that the defendant be held without bond, noting that the serious nature of the charge and out of state warrant makes a high bond necessary in this case.

A class C Felony is punishable by up to 5 years incarceration, and a maximum fine of $10,000.

𝐴 𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛. 𝐴𝑙𝑙 𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑔𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑡𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑢𝑏𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑎𝑤.

08/17/2026

𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐤, 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐚𝐤𝐨𝐭𝐚 - On August 17, 2026, Willie Taylor was charged with Possession with Intent to Manufacture or Deliver Fentanyl, a class A felony; Conspiracy to Deliver a Controlled Substance - Fentanyl, a class A felony; and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, a Class C Felony. The charges stem from a traffic stop, when a Trooper with the North Dakota Highway Patrol noticed the defendant was not wearing his seatbelt. A K-9 was requested, and a package containing over 300 grams of suspected fentanyl was located hidden in the vehicle.

At the initial appearance, the Burleigh County State’s Attorney’s Office noted that the defendant has significant criminal history, including a 1997 Criminal Sexual Conduct conviction, as well as a 2021 conviction for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances in Federal Court.

Judge Cynthia Feland set bond for this case at $75,000 cash.

A Class A felony is punishable by up to 20 years incarceration, and a maximum fine of $20,000 and a Class C felony is punishable by up to 5 years incarceration, and a maximum fine of $10,000.

𝐴 𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛. 𝐴𝑙𝑙 𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑔𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑡𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑢𝑏𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑎𝑤.

08/14/2026

COURT UPDATE:

On August 14, 2026, Sergio Miranda was charged with Child Abuse, a class B felony; Terrorizing, a class C felony; Preventing Arrest, a class C felony; and Refusal to Halt, a class B misdemeanor.


At the initial appearance, the Burleigh County State’s Attorney’s Office requested a $200,000 cash bond, noting that the defendant pled guilty on August 7, 2026 to Aggravated Assault and Simple Assault, where he was placed on supervised probation, and has a criminal history consisting of state and federal drug offenses.


Judge James Hill set bond for this case at $200,000 cash and ordered the defendant not to have any contact with the victims in this case.

A class B felony is punishable by up to 10 years incarceration; a class C felony by up to 5 years; and a class B misdemeanor by up to 30 days.


𝐴 𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛. 𝐴𝑙𝑙 𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑔𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑡𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑢𝑏𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑎𝑤.

08/11/2026

On August 11, 2026, Michael Eger was charged with seven counts of Unauthorized Use of Personal Identifying Information (all Class B Felonies punishable of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $20,000, or both). The charges stem from a Bismarck Police Department investigation that was initiated on July 31, 2026, when they received multiple reports of an individual presenting fraudulent military identification cards and attempting to withdraw money in amounts of more than $5,000 at several local banks.

At the initial hearing, the Burleigh County State’s Attorney’s Office requested $100,000 cash bond, noting that the defendant is not from North Dakota, has a pending case in Pennsylvania for the same offense, and warrants out of Maryland for the same type of offense.

Judge James Hill set bond for this case at $100,000 cash and ordered the defendant not to have any contact with the victims or banks in this case.

𝐴 𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛. 𝐴𝑙𝑙 𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑔𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑡𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑢𝑏𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑎𝑤.

08/11/2026

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