Caputa Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a Silencer

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Caputa, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm was sentenced by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.

Mason Hamm, age 21, was sentenced on May 22, 2018, to 8 months of imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release, ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and to perform 100 hours of community service.

Hamm was charged on December 21, 2016.  The charge related to Hamm illegally being in possession of a Lane, LLC, model Scorpion Magnum, .30 caliber silencer.  The silencer was attached to a .308 rifle.  Hamm illegally baited and killed a mountain lion at night using the silenced .308 rifle while trespassing on private property.

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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case was investigated by the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.