United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man was charged in federal district court with Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
Michael Wiseley, age 35, was charged on June 19, 2018. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on June 29, 2018, and pleaded not guilty to the charge. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charge relates to Wiseley, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possession firearms, knowingly possessing a semi-automatic pistol. The charge is merely an accusation and Wiseley is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson is prosecuting the case.
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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s 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 the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Wiseley was detained pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
