Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

Luke Joseph Burning Breast, age 35, was indicted on August 13, 2019. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on August 15, 2019, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

The Indictment alleges that on April 9, 2019, at Rosebud, Burning Breast having previously been convicted of a felony, knowingly possessed a firearm.

The charge is merely an accusation and Burning Breast is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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 the Department’s 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 the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore is prosecuting the case.

Burning Breast was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.

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