Fargo Man Agrees to Plea in 2020 Drive-By Killing
Fargo, North Dakota (trfnews.i234.me) — Jesse James Burnett has agreed to plead guilty to three federal charges.
The charges are tied to Santino Marial’s 2020 death and a later witness tampering conspiracy.
A plea agreement was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota.
The agreement says Burnett will plead guilty to conspiracy to tamper with a witness.
He will also plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana.
The third count involves using a firearm during a drug trafficking crime resulting in Marial’s death.
Marial was killed during a drive-by shooting in Fargo on August 28, 2020.
Burnett was arrested in 2022 after a two-year investigation into the shooting.
Witness Assault Detailed in Agreement
Court records say Burnett received discovery materials from the state and federal investigation.
The materials involved Marial’s death and the related drug trafficking investigation.
Prosecutors say those materials were shared among people involved in the conspiracy.
The group planned to assault a witness who had implicated Burnett, according to the agreement.
Daniel Saydee Cisse assaulted the witness inside the Cass County Jail on January 14, 2023.
The agreement says Cisse punched, kicked and stabbed the witness with a pencil.
Prosecutors said the assault was meant to stop the witness from cooperating or testifying.
Cisse is serving an 11-year federal sentence for his role in that conspiracy.
Shaquiel Mendez was convicted at trial in December 2024 for his role in the same conspiracy.
The agreement also mentions Zoepeawon Moore, who is known as “Chief Executive.”
Moore is separately charged in the related federal drug case.
Prosecutors Recommend 40-Year Term
Federal prosecutors will recommend a 480-month sentence on the count tied to Marial’s death.
That equals 40 years in federal prison.
They will also recommend 360 months for the witness tampering conspiracy.
Prosecutors will recommend 240 months for the drug trafficking conspiracy.
The government will recommend that all three sentences run at the same time.
Prosecutors say the concurrent recommendation would total 40 years.
The firearm count tied to Marial’s death carries a possible maximum sentence of life in prison.
Judge Must Approve Agreement
A judge must still decide whether to accept the plea agreement.
Burnett also agrees to waive his right to a trial under the proposed agreement.
He would also waive most rights to appeal his conviction or sentence.
The case remains pending in federal court.
More information is available from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota.
Federal court information is also available from the U.S. District Court for North Dakota.
Charges are accusations. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.
Copyright 2026 TRF News. All rights reserved.
