FARGO – Cody James Belgarde, 37, St. Michael, was sentenced by Chief Judge Peter Welte in federal court to 27 years and three months in prison following a conviction of second-degree murder and arson, United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced Monday.

In January of 2021, Belgarde shot and killed a 17-year-old boy. Belgarde then set fire to the house where the murder took place. In November of 2023, a jury found Belgarde guilty of second-degree murder and arson but the jury acquitted him on a charge of first-degree murder.

“The violent murder of this young man was as utterly senseless as it was brutal,” Schneider said. “No amount of time in prison can undo the heart-rending and pointless loss of life in this case, but we hope this sentence provides a measure of justice for the victim’s family.”