Alun James Guerue, Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm, South Dakota 2023

PARMELEE, SD – Alun James Guerue, 27, of Parmelee, South Dakota, received a lenient sentence of time served – roughly three and a half months – after pleading guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange handed down the sentence on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in U.S. District Court. Guerue will also serve three years of supervised release and pay a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

The case originated from a high-speed traffic stop on February 26, 2021, near Soldier Creek, SD. A Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services officer clocked Guerue driving 83 mph in a 65 mph zone. The subsequent search of his vehicle revealed a Glock 19 pistol, along with marijuana and cocaine. Investigators quickly determined the firearm had crossed state lines, placing it under federal jurisdiction.

Guerue, already facing potential charges for the drugs, became the focus of a firearms investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The key issue wasn’t just the gun itself, but Guerue’s admitted use of controlled substances at the time. Federal law explicitly prohibits individuals who are unlawful users of drugs from possessing firearms.

A federal grand jury indicted Guerue in November 2021. He finally entered a guilty plea on January 19, 2023. While the initial charges carried significant potential prison time, Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges negotiated a plea deal resulting in the comparatively light sentence of time served. The Glock 19 and ammunition were ordered forfeited as part of the sentencing.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota frames the case as part of “Project Safe Neighborhoods,” a broad initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement. However, critics might question whether a sentence of just three and a half months adequately addresses the danger posed by an individual illegally armed while actively using drugs.

Following the sentencing, Guerue was immediately taken into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. While the immediate threat he posed has been addressed through incarceration, the case raises questions about the effectiveness of current sentencing guidelines in deterring similar offenses and ensuring public safety in South Dakota’s tribal lands. The investigation was a joint effort between the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the ATF.

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