Department of Justice

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced by Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Judge.

Jerry Gorisek, age 49, was sentenced on May 11, 2020, to 7 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

The charge relates to Gorisek possessing nearly 80 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm while intending to distribute methamphetamine in Rapid City, which was found after Gorisek came into contact with a Pennington County Sheriff Deputy in July 2019.

Drug trafficking is an inherently violent activity.  Firearms are tools of the trade for drug dealers.  It is common to find drug traffickers armed with guns in order to protect their illegal drug product and cash, and enforce their illegal operations.

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.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.

Gorisek was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.