North Dakota Man Charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Gwinner, North Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

Bruce G. Maxwell, age 61, was indicted on June 13, 2018.  He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes on August 2, 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 on or about May 23, 2018, Maxwell, who is an unlawful user of, and addicted to a controlled substance, knowingly received and possessed several firearms.

The charge is merely an accusation and Maxwell 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 Mobridge Police Department, the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office, the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, and the Bureau of Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges is prosecuting the case.   

Maxwell was released on bond pending trial.  A trial date has not been set.