Jose Eduardo Rodriguez, Firearm Charge and Failure to Register as Sex Offender, South Dakota 2020

Tyndall Man Sentenced for Firearm Charge and Failure to Register as Sex Offender

A Tyndall, South Dakota, man was sentenced to federal prison for his role in a firearm charge and failure to register as a sex offender. Jose Eduardo Rodriguez, age 44, was sentenced to 52 months in federal prison for each charge, followed by 3 years of supervised release for the firearm charge and 5 years of supervised release for the failure to register as a sex offender charge, to run concurrently.

Rodriguez was convicted of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Failure to Register as a Sex Offender and was sentenced on September 21, 2020, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court. He was also ordered to forfeit the firearm and all ammunition found in his possession, and pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.

The convictions stem from an incident that occurred on December 26, 2019, during a traffic stop, Rodriguez was found with an unregistered firearm and multiple rounds of ammunition. Rodriguez, knowingly possessed a firearm made from a rifle, with a barrel of less than sixteen inches in length, which was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

Rodriguez was also convicted of Fourth Degree Rape in July 1998. As a result of his conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender. Between August 18, 2019, and December 26, 2019, the date of the traffic stop, Rodriguez had failed to properly register as a sex offender and update his registration.

The firearm charge 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 firearm charge is also part of Project Guardian, the signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.

These cases were investigated by the Murdo Police Department, the Lyman County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case. Rodriguez was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sd/pr/tyndall-man-sentenced-firearm-charge-and-failure-register-sex-offender