A Rapid City man is facing federal charges for possessing a sawed-off shotgun not registered to him, a violation of federal law. Shaun Shorter, 31, was charged on July 23, 2020, with Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, according to U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons.
Shorter appeared in federal court on August 12, 2020, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann, where he entered a plea of not guilty. The charge stems from an incident in April 2019 when authorities say Shorter possessed a shortened 12-gauge shotgun in Rapid City — a weapon required to be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record but was not.
If convicted, Shorter faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Additional penalties include 3 years of supervised release, a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and possible restitution. The charge remains an accusation; Shorter is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Justice Department initiative revived in 2017 to combat violent crime through coordinated federal, state, and local enforcement. The program targets repeat and armed offenders, aiming to disrupt violent activity before it escalates.
Investigating agencies include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Rapid City Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson, who is building the federal case against Shorter.
Shorter was released pending trial, though no trial date has been scheduled. The case continues to move through the federal system as prosecutors prepare for potential courtroom showdown over the illegal firearm charge.
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Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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