United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced a severe blow to the illegal arms trade with the sentencing of Ray Steele, 63, of Lead, South Dakota. On July 11, 2025, U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier handed down a three-year-and-five-month sentence for Steele’s Unlawful Possession of a Machinegun.
Steele, who had been indicted in May 2024 for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Unlawful Possession of a Machinegun, pleaded guilty on April 21, 2025. The sentence includes three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Law enforcement uncovered Steele’s illegal activities during a search warrant at his residence. They found six machinegun conversion devices, including one intended for shipment to an individual in California. Numerous firearms were also seized from Steele.
Between late 2020 and May 2024, Steele, a felon prohibited from possessing firearms, had another person purchase firearms for him while he was concurrently building various caliber rifles. He then converted semi-automatic rifles into fully automatic machineguns using the devices. The fully automatic firearms were used in shootings by Steele and others.
This case, a testament to the hard work of law enforcement, was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Lead Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case with tenacity.
Steele was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, ensuring that this ruthless criminal will face justice for his actions.
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Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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