Department of Justice

Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Highmore, South Dakota, woman convicted of Sale or Transfer of Firearms to a Prohibited Person was sentenced on October 5, 2021, by Chief Judge Robert A. Lange, U.S. District Court.

Elissa Schultz, age 41, was sentenced to 18 months of probation and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Schultz was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, Sale or Transfer of Firearms to a Prohibited Person, and False Statements During Purchase of a Firearm by a federal grand jury on October 14, 2020.  She pled guilty on June 21, 2021.

The conviction stems from an incident on January 24, 2020, in Pierre, when Schultz transferred a firearm to her significant other, Stacey Hansen, knowing he had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.  Hansen has pled guilty to Felon in Possession of a Firearm and will be sentenced on October 25, 2021.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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. 

This case was investigated by Hyde County Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.

Schultz was immediately released to begin her probation following the sentencing hearing.

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