In a major crackdown on illegal firearms, federal and local law enforcement agencies in South Dakota seized 368 firearms in 2023 that were possessed in violation of federal law.
According to a report by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the agencies charged approximately 93 defendants with illegally owning, possessing, using, or obtaining one or more such firearms.
U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell praised the efforts of law enforcement agencies, stating, ‘Through these firearm seizures, we are confident law enforcement agencies prevented countless violent and drug-related crimes from occurring in communities across South Dakota.’
The seized firearms were the result of close cooperation between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), South Dakota State Highway Patrol, and numerous sheriff’s offices and police departments across the state.
One of the major firearms-related cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2023 includes United States v. Sam Boyd.
Sam Boyd, a defendant, began obtaining methamphetamine from a co-conspirator in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in the fall of 2020. Boyd then distributed the methamphetamine to others for distribution. Throughout the conspiracy, Boyd routinely possessed multiple firearms and ammunition, despite being prohibited from doing so due to a prior felony conviction.
Boyd was sentenced to 23 1/3 years in federal prison after a jury found him guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person. The case was investigated by the DEA, ATF, and Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team.
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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