From Valleynewslive · · 1m 30s
Fargo man pleads guilty in 2020 drive-by murder
Jesse James Burnett agrees to plead guilty to killing Santino Marial and conspiring to assault a witness in the case.
In brief
Jesse James Burnett agrees to plead guilty to killing Santino Marial and conspiring to assault a witness in the case. Burnett will serve 40 years for the 2020 murder, with prosecutors recommending concurrent sentences on related charges. Originally reported by Valleynewslive.
Fargo man agrees to guilty plea
Jesse James Burnett, 29, has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges in the 2020 murder of Santino Marial and a conspiracy to assault a witness in the investigation.
The 2020 drive-by shooting
Santino Marial was killed in a drive-by shooting at an apartment garage in Fargo on August 28, 2020. Burnett was arrested in 2022 after a two-year investigation.
Witness assault in jail
Co-conspirator Daniel Saydee Cisse assaulted a witness inside Cass County Jail on January 14, 2023, punching, kicking and stabbing him with a pencil to prevent testimony.
Co-conspirators face sentences
Daniel Saydee Cisse is serving 11 years for witness tampering, and Shaquiel Mendez was convicted at trial in December 2024 for his role in the same conspiracy.
Burnett faces 40 years
Prosecutors recommend 40 years for the murder charge, 30 years for witness tampering, and 20 years for drug trafficking, with sentences running concurrently.
Judge must approve plea deal
Burnett waives his right to trial and most appeal rights under the agreement, but a federal judge must still accept the plea before it becomes final.
The headline
Burnett will serve 40 years for the 2020 murder, with prosecutors recommending concurrent sentences on related charges.
