United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell has dropped the hammer on Ray Steele, a 63-year-old from Lead, South Dakota, sentencing him to three years and five months in federal prison for unlawful possession of machinegun conversion devices. The sentence was announced by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier on July 11, 2025.
Steele’s illegal activities came to light when he was caught manufacturing the devices, converting semi-automatic rifles into fully automatic firearms, and even preparing to ship one of these dangerous gadgets to California. The search warrant at his residence yielded six conversion devices, along with multiple firearms.
This was no amateur operation; Steele had been a felon prohibited from possessing firearms since late 2020, yet he managed to have another person purchase the guns for him while building various caliber rifles. His arrest followed an investigation by both the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Lead Police Department.
Steele pleaded guilty on April 21, 2025, to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Unlawful Possession of a Machinegun. In addition to his prison sentence, he was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and is subject to three years of supervised release upon his release from prison.
The case has been prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson, who ensured that justice was served for the public safety threat posed by Steele’s actions. Upon completion of his sentence, Steele will be remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
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Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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