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Press Release

Lower Brule Man Charged with Felon in Possession of a Firearm

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of South Dakota

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Lower Brule, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

Vincent Battese, age 32, was indicted on October 16, 2018.  He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on October 23, 2018, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  Restitution may also be ordered.

The Indictment alleges that October 5, 2018, Battese, who had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess and receive a firearm.

The charge is merely an accusation and Battese is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

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.

The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Lower Brule Agency and by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).  Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley is prosecuting the case.   

Battese was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial.  A trial date has not been set.

Updated October 28, 2018

Topics
Firearms Offenses
Indian Country Law and Justice