Florida Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person

ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a North Lake Worth Beach, Florida, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on July 14, 2025.

Kenneth Lee DeMarrias, age 46, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. His interest in a firearm was also forfeited.

DeMarrias was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2024. He pleaded guilty on April 23, 2025.

In May 1998, DeMarrias fired six shots from a pistol at three teenaged boys in a Kansas City park.  Two died; the third required surgery for a perforated bowel. Following his convictions for murder, aggravated assault, and armed criminal action, DeMarrias was sentenced to 26 years in prison. He was released in May 2024. On July 26, 2024, DeMarrias was staying with his family at the Grand River Casino in rural Wakpala, South Dakota, within the Standing Rock Reservation. DeMarrias loaded the magazine for his wife’s pistol in their hotel room. Later that morning, DeMarrias took the pistol to hotel lobby, where police arrested him. DeMarrias had been using methamphetamine.

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 Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.

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