Fargo man convicted of witness tampering in murder investigation

FARGO (KVRR) – A Fargo man has been convicted of witness tampering after a four-day trial in U.S. District Court in Fargo.

U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider says Shaquiel Anthony Mendez was convicted for his role in conspiring to tamper with a federal witness after the witness was assaulted and stabbed with a pencil in the Cass County jail.

The case is related to the investigation into the murder of Santino Marial which occurred on August 28, 2020, in Fargo.

“An attack on a witness is an attack on the rule of law,” Schneider said. “This case is a reminder that anyone who conspires to use violence against a federal witness in the District of North Dakota will make themselves a federal defendant.”

Daniel Saydee Cisse, 20, is serving an eleven-year sentence for his role in the witness tampering conspiracy.

Ahmed Abdi Hassan, 21, has pled guilty for his role in the conspiracy and is currently scheduled to be sentenced in January.

Jesse James Burnett, 31, was indicted for Murder in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime and Conspiracy to Tamper with a Witness and is scheduled for trial on April 1, 2025.