United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man was charged in federal district court with Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
Dana Standing Bear, age 40, was indicted on March 19, 2019. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann and pleaded not guilty to the charges. The penalty upon conviction is a minimum of 5 years up to 40 years in federal prison and/or a $5,000,000 fine, a minimum of 4 years up to lifetime supervised release, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charges relate to Standing Bear knowingly being in possession of two 9mm semi-automatic pistols, as well as methamphetamine in February 2019 at Rapid City. The charges are merely an accusation and Standing Bear is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Drug trafficking is an inherently violent activity. Firearms are tools of the trade for drug dealers. It is common to find drug traffickers armed with guns in order to protect their illegal drug product and cash, and enforce their illegal operations.
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 Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson is prosecuting the case.
Standing Bear was detained pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
