Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

ABERDEEN, S.D. — United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced an Aberdeen, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on October 10, 2023.

Tevaughn Brownlee, age 27, was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Brownlee was indicted by a federal grand jury in November of 2022. He pleaded guilty on July 24, 2023.

The conviction stemmed from an incident on September 11, 2022, in Aberdeen, when Brownlee was involved in a domestic violence incident while possessing a firearm. Brownlee, who had previously been convicted of a felony in the state of Illinois, was in possession of a Smith and Wesson 45 caliber pistol. Due to the prior conviction, Brownlee is prohibited from possessing firearms.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Aberdeen Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.

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 of Justice 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.

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

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