Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Pierre, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on February 15, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.

Michael Lewis, age 39, was sentenced to 26 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, forefiture of firearms and ammunition, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Lewis was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 9, 2021.  He pled guilty on October 29, 2021.

The conviction stemmed from an incident on September 14, 2020, in Pierre, when law enforcement entered Lewis’s residence and located a small amount of drugs, drug paraphernalia, multiple stolen firearms, and ammunition.  Lewis is an unlawful user of a controlled substance and therefore is prohibited from possessing firearms. The firearms had all been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.   

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

This case was investigated by the Pierre Police Department, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.

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

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