Tevin Thin Elk, Sr., a 29-year-old resident of Mission, South Dakota, was sentenced on July 27 to two years in federal prison for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. The sentencing was announced by United States Attorney Ron Parsons and handed down by U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte.
Thin Elk will also serve five years of supervised release following his imprisonment and must pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2025 and pleaded guilty on April 27, 2026.
The conviction is related to an incident that occurred on April 5, 2025, when Thin Elk—who was already on supervised release for a prior conviction of the same offense—was encountered by law enforcement in a rural area of the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation after neighbors reported hearing multiple gunshots. Officers found Thin Elk intoxicated at the scene with numerous spent shotgun shells and open alcohol containers present; they recovered a semi-automatic shotgun nearby.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America, which is described as “a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.” The operation integrates efforts from programs such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). According to program materials, “Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.”
The investigation involved Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted this case.
Thin Elk was immediately remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service following sentencing.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota serves as chief federal law enforcement officer for its district; it handles federal criminal prosecutions as well as civil cases covering all parts of South Dakota while supporting initiatives that improve public safety, according to the official website.