Kyle Mackay, Firearm Possession, Rapid City SD, 2023
RAPID CITY, SD – Kyle Mackay, 33, of Rapid City, is headed to federal prison after a judge handed down a four-year sentence for illegally possessing a firearm. The sentencing, delivered by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken on April 24, 2023, also includes three years of supervised release and a $100 payment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The case began January 28, 2021, when Rapid City police responded to a report of an unwanted person at a gas station on East Highway 44. Mackay quickly became a focus when officers discovered an outstanding arrest warrant. A search revealed more than just the warrant; Mackay was carrying a firearm and approximately half an ounce of methamphetamine. The gun, it turned out, had been reported stolen.
Because of a prior felony conviction, Mackay was legally prohibited from possessing any firearms. A federal grand jury indicted him in May of 2021 on the charge of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. He finally pleaded guilty on January 20, 2023, attempting to cut a deal, but the judge wasn’t buying it.
U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell touted the case as a win for Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence. The program, she stated, focuses on community trust, prevention, strategic enforcement, and measurable results – buzzwords that rarely translate to safer streets, but sound good in a press release.
The investigation was a multi-agency effort, involving the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Rapid City Police Department, the Dakota Territory Fugitive Task Force, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich handled the prosecution. The feds worked this one, and Mackay paid the price.
Mackay was immediately taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service and will begin serving his four-year sentence. The stolen firearm is now evidence, and another career criminal is off the streets – at least for a while. This case serves as a stark reminder that possessing a firearm with a criminal record carries severe consequences, even in a state where guns are commonplace.
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Press Release
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