Neopit Man Indicted for Firearm Offense on the Menominee Indian Reservation

Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 3, 2019, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment against Ryan M. Hill (age: 39) of Neopit, which is located on the Menominee Indian Reservation.

The indictment charged Hill with Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). If convicted, Hill faces a maximum of ten years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.

According to the indictment, on or about September 13, 2019, the defendant possessed a Jimenez Arms, Inc., 22-caliber semiautomatic handgun at a location within the Menominee Indian Reservation.  At the time, the defendant was prohibited from possessing firearms.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods’ strategy brings together all levels of law enforcement and community resources to reduce violent crime and improve the quality of life in all our neighborhoods.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.  Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. 

The Menominee Tribal Police Department investigated the case, which will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.  For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://go.usa.gov/xpBrs  

An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt

For Additional Information Contact:

Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales 414-297-1700

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