Randall Dean Jones, Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, Minnesota 2018

RANDALL DEAN JONES, 28, of Ponemah, Minnesota, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a sawed-off shotgun, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced today. The sentence, handed down by Judge Eric C. Tostrud in St. Paul, marks the end of a violent chain of events that began with a reported fight in a Thief River Falls apartment complex.

JONES pleaded guilty on December 20, 2018, to one count of possession of an unregistered firearm. According to court documents and his guilty plea, law enforcement responded to a disturbance on August 1, 2018, only to find JONES screaming and pounding on a resident’s door. After detaining him, officers discovered a modified 20-gauge Iver Johnson Arms and Cycle Works, Excel model shotgun hidden under a sweatshirt in the hallway — its barrel illegally shortened.

The weapon, classified as a destructive device under federal law due to its modification, was unregistered and in the possession of a man barred from owning firearms. JONES admitted to having the gun, confirming he knew it was altered and illegal. His criminal record includes two prior felonies: aggravated assault in Cass County, North Dakota, and assault with a dangerous weapon in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota — both disqualifying him from legal firearm ownership.

The investigation was a joint effort between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Thief River Falls Police Department, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Red Lake Police Department. Their collaboration led to swift charges and prosecution, highlighting the dangers of illegal firearms in tribal and rural communities.

Assistant United States Attorney Deidre Y. Aanstad handled the prosecution, securing a sentence that includes not only 100 months behind bars but also three years of supervised release upon JONES’s eventual return to society. Federal authorities emphasized that illegal possession of modified weapons will be met with maximum penalties, especially when tied to violent histories.

JONES remains in federal custody as he begins serving his sentence. This case underscores the federal government’s aggressive stance on unregistered and altered firearms, particularly when they fall into the hands of violent felons. For more information, contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota, at (612) 664-5600.

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