ARGUS 911

Man who planned December drug robbery pleads guilty to manslaughter

By John Hultjhult@argusleader.com

The man who organized the drug robbery that left a former business partner dead in his north Sioux Falls home pleaded guilty to manslaughter on Wednesday and agreed to testify against his co-defendants.

Kevin James Rice, 21, took the plea deal in exchange for prosecutors dropping nearly two dozen other charges against him.

Rice could be sentenced to up to life in prison for his role in the robbery plot against 20-year-old marijuana dealer Jordan LeBeau. LeBeau was killed on Dec. 2 by two Watertown teens who'd broken into the dealer's home on north Alaska Avenue to steal what they thought would be $100,000 in drug money.

Rice admitted Wednesday to showing Watertown teens Brian David Anderson and Trevor Kruthoff where LeBeau lived and to giving them the loaded handgun used in the robbery.

"I relayed the crucial information about the money and the house," Rice said.

LeBeau was shot after his father came home and saw his son being attacked. The father also was shot before the teens left.

Minnehaha County Deputy State's Attorney Randy Sample said Rice's plea leaves open the possibility of "several thousand dollars in restitution."

Police found more than $88,000, marijuana and prescription pain pills in the basement of the LeBeau home. Jordan LeBeau lived in the basement; his father lived upstairs.

Rice had been a friend and business partner of LeBeau's in a Dell Rapids auto restoration shop. The shop also served as cover for drug sales, which both men were involved in. The two's relationship soured as LeBeau began dating Faith Rasmussen, the prime supplier of marijuana for both men.

Rasmussen awaits trial in a federal drug conspiracy case.

Rice is the first of five defendants in the state-level murder case to plead guilty to robbery-related charges. Anderson and Kruthoff's lawyers asked Judge Brad Zell to reset their pretrial hearings on Wednesday before Rice entered his plea. Rice's roommate, Doug Scholten, and Austin Hogan, a Hartford man who allegedly passed along LeBeau's address to Rice, also await trial.

Judge Zell did not set a sentencing date for Rice, whose defense lawyers wanted to wait until the other cases are resolved. As part of his plea deal, Rice agreed to testify against his co-defendants.