Aaron England, 30, of Rapid City, South Dakota, was sentenced on July 13 to five years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The sentencing was announced by United States Attorney Ron Parsons and issued by U.S. District Court Judge Camela C. Theeler.
England will also serve three years of supervised release and must pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. He had been indicted in January 2025 and pleaded guilty on April 13, 2026.
According to court documents, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on July 23, 2024, in Rapid City involving England as the driver. England failed to immediately stop his vehicle but eventually parked and fled on foot. Officers found a stolen pistol and drug paraphernalia on the floorboard of the driver’s side—items that England had possessed before fleeing. He was apprehended shortly after fleeing from law enforcement. As he had previously been convicted of an offense punishable by more than one year in prison, he was legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, which utilizes resources from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods to address violent crime at multiple levels within communities.
The investigation involved the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Rapid City Police Department; Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case. England was immediately remanded into custody following sentencing.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota serves as chief federal law enforcement officer for its district and is responsible for handling federal criminal prosecutions and civil cases across South Dakota while supporting initiatives that improve public safety, according to the official website.