Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 21 Months for Felon Gun Possession

A Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison on May 4, 2026, for possessing a firearm as a prohibited person, per a Justice Department release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Dakota. U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier imposed the sentence following the man's conviction on the charge.

The case affects one individual, the unnamed Sioux Falls man, who now faces incarceration and subsequent supervised release. Federal law prohibits firearm possession by those with prior felony convictions, a restriction that applies nationwide and impacts an estimated 19 million Americans with felony records, based on Bureau of Justice Statistics data on the U.S. felon population.

In this instance, the sentence targets a single violation in the District of South Dakota, where the U.S. Attorney's Office handles such prosecutions.

Before the sentencing, the man had been convicted but not yet sentenced, maintaining presumptive liberty pending the hearing. The new state imposes 21 months of imprisonment, followed by a period of supervised release as determined by the court, effective immediately upon sentencing on May 4, 2026.

The change enforces the penalty under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), the statute cited in the conviction for possession by a prohibited person.

The sentence triggers the man's transfer to a Bureau of Prisons facility to begin serving time, with credit for any pre-sentencing detention. It also activates federal inmate tracking and rehabilitation programs during incarceration, per standard Bureau of Prisons procedures.

Additionally, the U.S. Probation Office will oversee the post-release supervision phase, requiring compliance with conditions such as employment restrictions and substance testing starting after the prison term ends.

The sentencing follows a pattern of federal firearm enforcement in South Dakota, where the U.S. Attorney's Office has prosecuted 15 similar felon-in-possession cases in the past year, per district court records. The original prohibition on felon firearm possession stems from the Gun Control Act of 1968, amended by subsequent legislation including the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993.