Rapid City Man Charged with Illegal Possession of Firearm
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Rapid City, South Dakota, man for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
Jarrad Smith, age 37, was indicted in January of 2023. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on February 10, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years’ imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charge stems from Smith knowingly possessing a semi-automatic pistol in Rapid City in December of 2022. Smith has a prior felony conviction and, as a result, cannot legally possess firearms.
The charge is merely an accusation and Smith is presumed innocent unless and until 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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Sazama is prosecuting the case.
Smith was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has been set for April 18, 2023.
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