Rapid City Man Indicted for 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 and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person.
Takoda Walker Ghostbear, age 24, was indicted in February of 2023. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta L. Wollmann on March 17, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 15 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.
The charge relates to Ghostbear, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, knowingly being in possession of a Glock pistol and ammunition in Rockerville in November of 2022.
The charge is merely an accusation and Ghostbear 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 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 Sarah B. Collins is prosecuting the case.
Ghostbear was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
