Department of Justice

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that two Rapid City, South Dakota, men were charged in federal district court on October 22, 2019, with multiple firearm offenses.

Devin Byker and Craig Hirschfield, both age 25, were charged with Carjacking and Use and Brandishing of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence. Byker was also charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Byker and Hirschfield appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on November 4, 2019, and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The penalty upon conviction is 5 years up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 5 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

The charges relate to Byker and Hirschfield stealing a motor vehicle at gunpoint in Rapid City in June 2019. Additionally Byker, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, unlawfully possessed a stolen .357 double-action revolver. The charges are merely accusations and Byker and Hirschfield are 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 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 is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Box Elder Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson is prosecuting the case.

Byker and Hirschfield were detained pending trial. A trial date has not been set.

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