RAPID CITY — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - South Dakota), published as received.
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. The sentencing took place on March 24, 2023.
Warren Hotchkiss, 42, was sentenced to four years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hotchkiss was indicted for Possession of an Unregistered Firearm by a federal grand jury in September of 2022. He pleaded guilty on November 21, 2022.
In August of 2022, at Rapid City, Hotchkiss was found in possession of a semi-automatic rifle with a barrel length less than 16 inches which was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required.
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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Hotchkiss was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
