Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Sioux Falls man convicted of Possession of Ammunition by Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on March 23, 2026.
Joseph Carpenter, 38, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Carpenter was indicted for Possession of Ammunition by Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in June 2025. He pleaded guilty on January 2, 2026.
The case arose on February 13, 2025, when law enforcement in Sioux Falls searched a hotel room where Carpenter had been staying and discovered ammunition of various types. Carpenter is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of a previous felony conviction.
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
Carpenter was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
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