Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Prohibited Possession of a Firearm
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on April 1, 2024, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Timothy Joseph Cervantez, age 23, was sentenced to two years and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $100 as a statutorily required special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Cervantez was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in August of 2023. He pleaded guilty on January 11, 2024.
The conviction stems from an incident on June 10, 2023, when law enforcement received a report that an individual had discharged a firearm from the passenger window of a moving vehicle while traveling through a Sioux Falls neighborhood. When officers located the subject vehicle, a pursuit ensued, first by vehicle and later by foot. Officers eventually apprehended Cervantez and located a firearm he discarded while fleeing on foot. Cervantez admitted to possessing the firearm despite being prohibited due to a prior felony conviction.
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 Sioux Falls Police Department. U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell prosecuted the case.
Cervantez was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to continue serving his sentence.
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