STURGIS, SD – Dallas Ford, 29, of Sturgis, South Dakota, is starting a three-year federal prison sentence after admitting to illegally possessing a loaded weapon. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken handed down the sentence on April 14, 2023, following a guilty plea entered in January.
Ford was initially indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2022, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The charge stemmed from an incident in December 2021, where Ford was found to be in possession of a .22 caliber, semi-automatic pistol, despite being legally barred from owning a firearm. Details of *why* Ford was prohibited haven’t been released, raising questions about his past.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF) spearheaded the investigation, working alongside officers from the Sturgis Police Department. Federal prosecutors were quick to note this case is part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” initiative – a familiar talking point aimed at curbing gun violence, but often criticized for being more about optics than actual results.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson handled the prosecution, securing the three-year prison term, followed by three years of supervised release. Ford was immediately taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service, ending his freedom and beginning his time behind bars. A $100 special assessment was also ordered, destined for the Federal Crime Victims Fund – a small consolation for those impacted by gun violence in the region.
While the DOJ touts Project Safe Neighborhoods as a success story, the continued flow of illegal firearms onto the streets of South Dakota suggests the program is struggling to make a meaningful dent in violent crime. This case, like countless others, underscores the challenges law enforcement faces in keeping guns out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have them.
The ATF’s St. Paul Field Division handled the case. Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and other firearms-related prosecutions in the region, holding authorities accountable and digging beneath the surface of federal crime statistics.
Related Federal Cases
- Robert Wolfe Jr., Possession of Illegal Firearm, SD, 2026 · South Dakota
- Jacob Bryan, Illegal Firearm Possession, SD 2018 · South Dakota
- Toby Acevedo, Illegal Firearm Possession, South Dakota 2023 · Montana
- Jericho James Ladeaux, Illegal Firearm Possession, South Dakota 2025 · Alabama
- Vernon Schmidt, Illegal Firearm Possession, Mission SD, 2024 · South Dakota
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