Sioux Falls Man and Woman Sentenced on Gun Charges

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that two Sioux Falls, South Dakota, residents were sentenced on December 28, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.  

David Charles Peters, age 41, convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Possession of a Firearm by a Person Convicted of a Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Molly Lynn Lorang, age 51, convicted of Transfer of a Firearm to a Prohibited Person, was sentenced to two years of probation and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Peters and Lorang were indicted by a federal grand jury on January 7, 2020.  Both pled guilty on October 9, 2020.

The conviction stemmed from an incident on October 6, 2019, when a rural Minnehaha County landowner confronted Peters and Lorang about trespassing on his property.  Peters retrieved a pump shotgun from his vehicle and racked the chamber to intimidate the landowner.  After words were exchanged, Peters and Lorang drove their vehicle towards the landowner before swerving to miss him.  After receiving the report, the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office found two firearms in Lorang’s possession: a pump shotgun and a handgun. 

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 the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice's signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.  Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department's past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.  For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

The investigation was investigated by the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.

Peters has been allowed to self-surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service by February 16, 2021.