U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell | U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell has announced the sentencing of Summer Rae Trotter, a 34-year-old woman from Bismarck, North Dakota. Trotter was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier to two years in federal prison for possession of a firearm as a prohibited person. The sentencing occurred on January 3, 2025.
In addition to her prison term, Trotter will undergo three years of supervised release and must pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Trotter was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2023 and pleaded guilty on October 23, 2024.
The case originated when an officer from the Rapid City Police Department discovered Trotter with a firearm in Rapid City. Due to her previous felony convictions, she is federally barred from owning or possessing firearms.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that collaborates with law enforcement and communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence while enhancing neighborhood safety. The Department launched an updated violent crime reduction strategy on May 26, 2021, which emphasizes community trust and legitimacy, supports community-based violence prevention organizations, sets strategic enforcement priorities, and measures outcomes.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Rapid City Police Department conducted the investigation into this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted it.
Following her sentencing, Trotter was placed into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
