Porcupine Man Indicted on Carjacking and Firearm Charges
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Porcupine, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Carjacking, Use and Brandishing of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence, and Possession of a Stolen Firearm.
Curtis Horse, age 29, was indicted on December 8, 2020. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on December 16, 2020, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The penalty upon conviction is 15 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, followed by three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charges relate to Horse stealing a motor vehicle and firearm at gunpoint at Rapid City, South Dakota, in November 2020. The charges are merely an accusation and Horse is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice's signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department's past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-william-p-barr-announce….
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Kelderman is prosecuting the case.
Horse was detained pending trial. A trial has been set for February 23, 2021.
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