Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Acting United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on December 6, 2021, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.

Luke Eagleman, III, age 41, was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100, and forfeiture of a rifle, a handgun, and ammunition.

Eagleman was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 8, 2020. He pled guilty on April 12, 2021.

The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on September 1, 2020, in Eagle Butte. Eagleman, who has a prior felony conviction and is prohibited from possessing firearms, knowingly possessed a rifle and a handgun. The items were seized from Eagleman’s person and vehicle following a traffic investigation conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services.

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 was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.

Eagleman was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.