Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Centerville] man, convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on Feb. 9 in Sioux Falls.

Robert W. Blakey, age 57, was sentenced to one year and nine months federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $100 as a statutorily required special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Blakey was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in August of 2023. He pleaded guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person on Nov.28, 2023.

On Jan. 26, 2023, law enforcement was dispatched to a location in Centerville for a report of shots fired. While officers were speaking with Blakey on scene, they noticed a leather holster on Blakey’s left hip which contained a revolver that was loaded with four bullets.

Then, on May 23, 2023, law enforcement was dispatched to a 911 call reporting a male subject brandished gun near the Cockatoo bar in Yankton. Officers located the male and identified him as Blakey. Blakey had in his possession revolver loaded with five live rounds of ammo and one in the chamber.

Blakey is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because he has eight prior felony convictions.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Centerville Police Department and the Yankton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ebert prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Blakey was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to continue serving his sentence.

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