Louis Bettelyoun, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, South Dakota 2019

Rapid City Man Charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Louis Bettelyoun, a 32-year-old Rapid City man, was charged in federal district court with Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

The charge relates to Bettelyoun, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, unlawfully being in possession of a semi-automatic pistol in March 2019 at Rapid City.

Bettelyoun appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on June 24, 2019, and pleaded not guilty to the charge. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

This case 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 investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson is prosecuting the case. Bettelyoun was detained pending trial. A trial date has not been set.

The charge is merely an accusation and Bettelyoun is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. This article will be updated with new information as it becomes available.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sd/pr/rapid-city-man-charged-unlawful-possession-firearm-1