Scott Schauer, Possession of Unregistered Firearm, South Dakota 2019

Rapid City Man Sentenced for Possession of Unregistered Firearm

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City man, convicted of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, was sentenced by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.

Scott Schauer, age 48, was sentenced on July 2, 2019, to 2 and 1/2 years in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

The charge related to Schauer knowingly being in possession of a short-barrel shotgun. Additionally, Schauer was involved with trading methamphetamine for two Kahr semi-automatic pistols, which had been stolen from The Rooster at Rapid City in August 2018.

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 was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigation, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson prosecuted the case.

Schauer was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

According to the U.S. Attorney, drug trafficking is an inherently violent activity, and firearms are tools of the trade for drug dealers. It is common to find drug traffickers armed with guns in order to protect their illegal drug product and cash, and enforce their illegal operations.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sd/pr/rapid-city-man-sentenced-illegal-possession-short-barrel-shotgun