A Box Elder man has been sentenced to 32 months in prison and three years of supervised release for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, according to U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.
Franklin Troy Caplette, 40, pleaded guilty in March 2025 to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The sentencing was handed down by Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris.
According to court documents, Caplette was found with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol in a chest holster during his arrest on October 12, 2024, for violating his federal supervised release. Law enforcement reported that Caplette attempted to flee before being arrested and an officer had to use a taser twice before he was taken into custody.
Caplette has previous federal convictions related to methamphetamine distribution. In June 2013, he was sentenced to over five years in prison followed by four years of supervised release; his supervised release was revoked five times in that case. In February 2021, he received another sentence of 42 months imprisonment and three years supervised release for a separate methamphetamine-related offense.
The investigation involved the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Hill County Sheriff’s Office, Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement Services, and the U.S. Probation Office.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative designed to reduce violent crime and gun violence by fostering collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The Department of Justice launched an updated violent crime reduction strategy for PSN on May 26, 2021, focusing on trust-building with communities, supporting organizations working to prevent violence, setting targeted enforcement priorities, and tracking outcomes. More information about Project Safe Neighborhoods can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psn.
"Kurt G. Alme said."
