William Willis, Firearm Theft, SD 2019

Grasping the grim reality of criminal negligence, William Willis, 35, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has been sentenced to serve 53 months in federal prison for stealing a firearm. The ruling was handed down by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier on April 30, 2019.

Willis’s sentence also includes three years of supervised release and an order to pay $100 into the Federal Crime Victims Fund. His transgression came to light when the Sioux Falls Police Department responded to a report that Willis had stolen his former employer’s 9mm handgun on February 13, 2018.

The fateful night saw Willis’ vehicle pulled over for a traffic violation. It was during this stop that an officer discovered the firearm concealed beneath Willis’ coat in his back waistband. The discovery marked the beginning of Willis’s downward spiral into federal charges.

Indicted by a federal grand jury on August 7, 2018, Willis entered a guilty plea on February 4, 2019. The case against him was robustly prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Nash and investigated jointly by the Sioux Falls Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Following his conviction, Willis was swiftly transferred into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, signifying the severity with which law enforcement viewed his offense. This sentencing is a stark reminder of the consequences that follow the illegal possession and use of firearms in the United States.