United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Sturgis, South Dakota, man was charged in federal district court with Possession of an Unregistered Firearm.
Kelly Vasknetz, age 47, was indicted on March 19, 2019. Vasknetz appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann 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 supervised release, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charge relates to Vasknetz knowingly being in possession of a double-barrel shotgun with a barrel of less than 18 inches in length that was not registered to him. The charge is merely an accusation and Vasketnz 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Sturgis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson is prosecuting the case.
Vasknetz was detained pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
