Rapid City Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Firearms
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on January 9, 2023.
John Winn, 44, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Winn was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Possession of a Stolen Firearm by a federal grand jury in November of 2021. He pleaded guilty on August 31, 2022.
In June of 2021, in Rapid City, Winn, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, was found in possession of a SIG Sauer Incorporated, model P320, 9x19 mm Parabellum caliber, semi-automatic pistol; a Colt’s Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company, model Combat Commander, .45 AUTO caliber, semi-automatic pistol; a Sturm, Ruger & Company Incorporated, model LCR, .357 Magnum caliber, double-action-only revolver; and a Taurus, model PT145, .45 AUTO caliber, semi-automatic pistol, which were found after Winn came into contact with law enforcement. The SIG Sauer firearm had been reported stolen and the Taurus firearm had an obliterated serial number. Along with the firearms, law enforcement recovered numerous items consistent with drug distribution, including methamphetamine.
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.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
