Summer Rae Trotter, Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, South Dakota 2025

Rapid City, South Dakota – A North Dakota woman has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for possessing a firearm while a felon, a crime that carries severe penalties in the Badlands.

Summer Rae Trotter, 34, was found guilty of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in December 2023. She pleaded guilty on October 23, 2024.

The case began when a Rapid City Police Department officer discovered Trotter in possession of a firearm in Rapid City. Trotter is federally prohibited from owning and possessing firearms due to her previous felony convictions.

On January 3, 2025, U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier handed down the sentence, which includes two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Trotter was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence in American neighborhoods.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department.

Trotter’s case highlights the importance of gun control laws and the consequences of violating them.

Mandatory Facts:

Defendant/Respondent: Summer Rae Trotter
Criminal Charges: Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person
City and State: Rapid City, South Dakota
Exact Date: January 3, 2025 (sentencing), December 2023 (indicted)
Sentence or Outcome: Two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund
Dollar Amounts: $100