Michael Sullivan, Stolen Handgun Possession, South Dakota 2016

A Rapid City man is behind bars after being caught with two stolen handguns, including a Ruger 9mm and a KAHR .40 caliber pistol. Michael Sullivan, 29, was sentenced on November 8, 2016, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken in U.S. District Court, marking the end of a federal case that began with a pawn shop burglary and ended with a felony conviction.

Sullivan admitted to possessing the firearms knowing they were stolen property, a move that landed him 18 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. The sentence, handed down by the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for South Dakota, sends a clear message: stolen guns won’t stay hidden for long.

Charged on August 18, 2015, Sullivan pleaded guilty on August 5, 2016, cutting short a potential trial. His admission tied him directly to the theft of the weapons from a local Rapid City pawn shop, a crime that triggered a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Rapid City Police Department.

As part of the judgment, Sullivan was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $1,336.00 in restitution to cover damages tied to the theft. The financial penalty, while modest, underscores the broader cost of firearms trafficking and illegal possession in South Dakota communities.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson prosecuted the case with a no-nonsense approach, emphasizing Sullivan’s deliberate choice to retain stolen weapons. Federal prosecutors stressed that possession alone—especially with a criminal history or stolen origin—carries serious consequences under U.S. law.

Sullivan was taken into custody immediately after sentencing and turned over to the U.S. Marshals Service. The case remains a textbook example of how federal and local law enforcement can close the loop on stolen firearms before they fuel more violent crime on the streets of Rapid City.

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