Pierre Man Sentenced for Being Felon in Possession of a Firearm

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Pierre, South Dakota, man convicted of Felon in Possession of a Firearm was sentenced on May 28, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.

Michael Schmidt, age 44, was sentenced to time served, 2 years of supervised release, a $200 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Schmidt was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 12, 2018.  He pled guilty on March 5, 2019.

The conviction stemmed from an incident on January 31, 2018, when a Forest Protection Officer observed Schmidt’s vehicle off a designated road.  When the officer approached Schmidt, he informed the officer that there were firearms in the vehicle and acknowledged that he was a felon and had not had his rights restored.  The firearms were seized and both were functional and had traveled in interstate and/or foreign commerce. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Lyman County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Forest Service.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.

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 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.