Rapid City Man Sentenced on Firearm Charge

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on August 29, 2024.

Dustin Ray Richards, 31, was sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and forfeited a Smith & Wesson firearm and 9mm ammunition.

Richards was indicted for Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in March of 2024. He pleaded guilty on June 24, 2024.

On January 30, 2024, law enforcement responded to an apartment complex in Rapid City after receiving a call for service. When officers arrived, they located Richards who had a knife in his hand. Officers ordered Richards to drop the knife, however, Richards was not compliant with officers, became combative, and attempted to flee before officers were able to get Richards into custody. In a bag Richards had with him, officers located a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol, which Richards was prohibited from having due to a number of prior felony conviction. Richards was also on State parole for a drug offense at the time of his arrest.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.

Richards was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.