MAY 2022:
A federal judge has handed out the penalty to a Mitchell man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
23 year old Mason Means was sentenced to 18 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.
The charge stems from Means, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, illegally possessing a Cobra, model CA-380, .380 caliber, semi-automatic pistol, which was found after Means came into contact with law enforcement in March 2021 in Pine Ridge.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety.
Means was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
DECEMBER 2021:
A federal grand jury has indicted a 23 year old man from Rapid City for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
Mason Means pled not guilty.
The charge stems from Means, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, knowingly possessing a Cobra, model CA-280, .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol in Pine Ridge in March 2021. The charge is merely an accusation and Means is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson is prosecuting the case.
Means was detained pending trial.
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