Rapid City Man Indicted for Illegal Possession of Firearm
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
William Scott, age 31, was indicted in September of 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on October 3, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
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.
In February of 2022, at Rapid City, Scott, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, did knowingly possess an Iberia Firearms Incorporated, Hi-Point brand name, model JCP, .40 Smith & Wesson caliber, semi-automatic pistol, which was found after Scott came into contact with law enforcement.
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 charge is merely an accusation and Scott is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by ATF and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson is prosecuting the case.
Scott was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
