Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Box Elder, South Dakota, woman convicted of Interference with Commerce by Robbery was sentenced by Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Judge.

Karmen Englert, age 37, was sentenced on March 3, 2021, to 8 years in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $1,579.49 in restitution to Rushmore Casino and $800.00 in restitution to Market Square Casino.

The conviction stems from Englert driving two men to and from Rushmore Casino and Market Square Casino, where the males robbed the casinos at gunpoint in March 2020. The three also drove to Jokers Casino with the intent of committing a robbery but were unsuccessful. All three casinos are located in Rapid City, South Dakota.

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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership
with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.

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

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