St. Francis Man Sentenced on Firearm Charge
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that a St. Francis, South Dakota, man convicted of Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm was sentenced on November 21, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Justin Eagle Pipe, age 38, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Eagle Pipe was indicted for Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm by a federal grand jury in April 2022. He pleaded guilty on August 23, 2022.
On January 1, 2022, Rosebud Sioux Tribal Law Enforcement Services officers conducted a traffic stop of Eagle Pipe’s vehicle due to erratic driving. Officers found Eagle Pipe intoxicated behind the wheel. During a pat down search of Eagle Pipe, officers located a Glock handgun and methamphetamine syringe. Eagle Pipe’s urinalysis was positive for methamphetamine and marijuana. Eagle Pipe was interviewed and admitted to being a regular methamphetamine user. He also admitted that his prior federal felony conviction made it illegal for him to possess firearms.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The investigation was conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Eagle Pipe was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
