PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted three Dewey County men for Theft of Firearms From a Federal Firearm Licensee, Possession of Stolen Firearms, Burglary and Larceny.
Weston Clausen, age 24, Ford Traversie, age 22, and Jalen Ducheneaux, age 23, were indicted in January of 2023. Clausen appeared before Magistrate Judge Mark Moreno on Jan. 18, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment. Traversie and Ducheneaux both appeared before Magistrate Judge Moreno on Jan. 25, 2023, and both men pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $400 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between August 13-15, 2022, in Dewey County, in the District of South Dakota, the three men burglarized Reloaders Corner, a Federal Firearms Licensee, and stole multiple firearms, ammunition, and other things of value from the business.
The charges are merely an accusation and Clausen, Traversie, and Ducheneaux are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Law Enforcement, Dewey County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges is prosecuting the case.
Clausen and Traversie were released on bond pending trial. Ducheneaux was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. A trial date has not been set.
