Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Possession of Firearms by a Prohibited Person

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of Firearms by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on April 5, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.

Richard Joseph Long, Jr., age 45, was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Long was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 4, 2018.  He pled guilty on January 17, 2019.

The conviction stemmed from an incident on or about between November 20, 2017, and December 6, 2017, when Long broke into his father's home and stole firearms and other property.  Long was caught attempting to sell one of the firearms to a pawnshop in Sioux Falls.  The pawn business was aware of the items reported stolen and immediately contacted the police.  Long was prohibited from possessing any guns because he had previously been convicted of a felony.

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 was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.

Long was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.