Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Gun Possession (DOJ)

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 December 6, 2024.

Derrick Patton, 42, was sentenced to serve four years in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 in special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

A federal grand jury indicted Patton in May 2024. He pleaded guilty on September 16, 2024.

On March 13, 2024, the Rapid City Police Department were called to do a welfare check on Patton, who was reportedly passed out in a running vehicle for several hours. When officers woke Patton and identified him, they learned he had a felony arrest warrant and had absconded from parole. Patton was in possession of a Ruger 9mm pistol and ammunition. The gun had been reported stolen out of Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Patton also possessed multiple baggies of methamphetamine. Patton is prohibited from possession firearms as a result of a prior felony conviction.

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 Rapid City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.

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