Christina Gonzalez, Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, South Dakota 2024

SIOUX FALLS, SD – Christina Gonzalez, 34, of Sioux Falls, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced for illegally possessing a handgun. U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier handed down the sentence on April 22, 2024, after Gonzalez pleaded guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

Gonzalez received one year and eight months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. She’s also on the hook for a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The case originated last October when law enforcement responded to a trespassing call. A witness reported a woman, later identified as Gonzalez, wandering onto private property with a visible handgun.

When officers arrived, they found Gonzalez near her vehicle. A subsequent search revealed the handgun the witness had described. The indictment came down in December 2023, and Gonzalez entered her guilty plea in February of this year. Details surrounding the reason Gonzalez was a prohibited person were not immediately released.

Federal authorities are framing the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a broad initiative designed to reduce violent crime and gun violence. PSN aims to foster trust between law enforcement and communities, support violence prevention programs, and focus enforcement efforts on the most pressing threats.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Sioux Falls Police Department jointly investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen led the prosecution. Gonzalez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving her sentence.

This conviction highlights the ATF’s ongoing efforts to keep firearms out of the hands of individuals legally barred from possessing them. While the specifics of Gonzalez’s past remain largely undisclosed, the sentence sends a clear message: illegal gun possession carries serious federal consequences. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and other federal investigations in South Dakota.

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