Pierre Man Indicted on Gun Charge

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

Nathen Doherty, a/k/a Nathan Doherty, age 22, was indicted on December 10, 2019.  He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on December 13, 2019, 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 May 11, 2018, Doherty, knowing he was an unlawful user of and addicted to a controlled substance as defined in 21 U.S.C. § 802, knowingly possessed a Remington Arms Company Incorporated, model 870 Express Super Magnum, 12 gauge, pump-action shotgun, which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce and foreign commerce.

The charge is merely an accusation and Doherty 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.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its 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 local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The investigation is being conducted by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force and the Pierre Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges is prosecuting the case.   

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