United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Possession of an Unregistered Firearm and Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm.
Devin Dolphus, a/k/a Devin Pretty Weasel, age 19, was indicted on March 12, 2019. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on March 19, 2019, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on Jan. 16, 2019, Dolphus being an unlawful user of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, and prohibited from possessing a firearm was found in possession of a shotgun having a barrel length of less than 18 inches. This firearm was not registered in the National Firearms Registration database.
The charges are merely accusations and Dolphus is 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 Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges is prosecuting the case.
Dolphus was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
