Rapid City Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm Charge

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a man from Rapid City, South Dakota, convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.  The sentencing took place on January 12, 2026.

Raymond Winters, 36, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Winters was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in February 2025.  He pleaded guilty on October 8, 2025.

On January 22, 2025, in Rapid City, South Dakota, Winters quickly fled the vehicle he was driving and threw a firearm onto the ground after he noticed law enforcement’s presence.  Winters was carrying ammunition and a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine.  Evidence showed that shortly before his encounter with law enforcement, Winters had pointed the firearm at his domestic partner several times.  Winters had been previously convicted of a felony.  As a result, he is prohibited from possessing firearms.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).  Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 

This case was investigated by the ATF and the Rapid City Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.

Winters was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.