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Press Release

Mission Man Sentenced on Firearm Charge

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

United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on March 21, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.

Cassius Farmer, age 28, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Farmer was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 9, 2021.  He pled guilty on December 30, 2021.

The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on October 21, 2021, in Mission, South Dakota.  On that date, United States Marshals Service personnel and Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel were searching for Farmer, who had an arrest warrant for a violation of federal supervised release.  Farmer was located at an apartment building in Mission, but gave a false name.  Farmer was detained, at which point he informed the officers he was carrying a handgun.  The firearm was seized, and Farmer then properly identified himself.   

Farmer was convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in 2018, making it illegal for him to possess firearms and ammunition.  Farmer will forfeit ownership of the handgun and ammunition to the United States.

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 Dakota Territory Fugitive Task Force, the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.

Farmer was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Updated March 21, 2022