Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

United States Attorney Alison Ramsdell announced that a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number.

Roland Hawk, Jr., age 20, was indicted on December 14, 2021.  He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on June 6, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to ten years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  Restitution may also be ordered.

The Indictment alleges that on May 28, 2021, in Fort Thompson, South Dakota, Hawk assaulted a victim with a pistol as the victim was sleeping.  The Indictment further alleges that the serial number on the pistol had been removed.

The charges are merely accusations and Hawk is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

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 work 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.

The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Services, Crow Creek Agency, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley is prosecuting the case.   

Hawk was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial.  A trial date been set for July 26, 2022.

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