Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
A Rapid City man has been sentenced to federal prison after being convicted of possessing a firearm as a prohibited person. U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler handed down the sentence to Andrew Cortes, 30, on August 7, 2025.
Cortes received a sentence of two years and three months in federal prison. He will also serve three years of supervised release and must pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
According to court records, Cortes was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2025 and pleaded guilty on May 23, 2025. The charges stem from an incident on December 12, 2024, when Rapid City police stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation with Cortes as a passenger. After the stop, Cortes fled the scene but was apprehended following a foot pursuit. During his arrest, officers found that he had possessed a pistol which dropped during the chase. Because Cortes had previously been convicted of a felony crime, possessing a firearm is considered a federal felony offense.
The case falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative aimed at addressing illegal immigration and organized crime through coordinated efforts by the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office: "Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone."
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) along with the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Cortes was immediately remanded into custody following sentencing.
