SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – Jon Rogness of Brookings, South Dakota, pleaded not guilty Thursday, Aug. 6, to two federal charges connected to the death of 14-year-old McKenna Wendel, the niece of his co-defendant Mark Milk.
The 38-year-old man appeared in court in handcuffs and ankle shackles, escorted by two U.S. Marshals. The arraignment hearing lasted less than 10 minutes.
Prosecutors requested that Rogness be held in federal custody until trial, citing the case’s involvement of a minor. The court granted the request, and Rogness will remain in federal custody until his Sept. 28 trial date.
Charges against Rogness
Rogness faces two counts: conspiracy to conceal objects with intent to impair their integrity and availability for an official proceeding, and accessory to Mark Milk after an alleged cocaine possession and distribution resulted in Wendel’s death.
If convicted, Rogness faces a possible maximum sentence of 35 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release.
Co-defendant Mark Milk
Fifty-one-year-old Mark Milk, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota — Wendel’s uncle — pleaded not guilty in July to all five federal charges against him during an initial appearance and arraignment in federal court. That hearing lasted less than 15 minutes. Milk appeared in court in handcuffs and ankle shackles alongside two U.S. Marshals…