Bullhead Man Sentenced on Firearm Charge

ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Bullhead, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Stolen Firearm was sentenced on January 18, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.

Nicholas Black Cloud, age 21, was sentenced to six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Black Cloud was indicted for Possession of a Stolen Firearm by a federal grand jury in January of 2022. He pleaded guilty on October 17, 2022.

On October 25, 2021, Black Cloud stole a pistol from a vehicle in McLaughlin, South Dakota.  When he later encountered the police, Black Cloud threw the pistol away so he would not get caught with it. Law enforcement subsequently recovered the firearm.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case was investigated by the Corson County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Cook prosecuted the case.

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