Rapid City Man Found Guilty of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that William Andrews, age 32, was found guilty of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person following a federal jury trial in Rapid City, South Dakota.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Evidence at trial established that on January 24, 2018, law enforcement officers with the Black Hills Fugitive Task Force found Andrews by himself inside a shed he had built behind a home in Rapid City.  Andrews had locked himself inside the shed, which was being used as a bedroom, and was found to be in possession of a Kel-Tec, model PF-9, 9mm pistol. Andrews is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a previous conviction for first degree robbery.

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.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Rapid City Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted and tried the case.

A sentencing date was set for October 9, 2018.  Andrews was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.