Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell has announced that Dakota Jolley, a resident of Rapid City, South Dakota, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier issued the sentence for Jolley's conviction of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person on April 11, 2025.
Jolley, 28, will also serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison term. Additionally, he has been ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Jolley was indicted on the firearm possession charge in February 2024 and later pleaded guilty on January 8, 2025.
The incident leading to Jolley's conviction occurred in November 2023. He had a confrontation with his spouse while she was holding their small child. During the argument, Jolley threatened to hit them with a belt and subsequently obtained a loaded Springfield Armory, model 1911, .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol. He used this firearm to threaten his spouse with death, holding it to her head repeatedly as she tried to protect their child. Jolley's previous felony convictions prohibit him from possessing firearms.
This case forms part of Operation Take Back America, a broad initiative of the Department of Justice. The program aims to combat illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime perpetrators. The Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and the Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) are contributing to these streamlined efforts.
The investigation was carried out by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, alongside the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Following the sentencing, Jolley was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
