DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
District of South Dakota

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, May 10, 2022
Alison J. Ramsdell
, United States Attorney

Rapid City Man Charged With Illegal Possession of Firearm

United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

Chad Whitney, age 37, was indicted on April 21, 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on May 9, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in custody 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 charge stems from Whitney, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, knowingly possessing a 30-30 Winchester single-shot break action rifle, a Smith & Wesson .22 long rifle caliber semi-automatic pistol, and a Sturm, Ruger & Company .22 long rifle caliber semi-automatic pistol in Rapid City in February 2022, which were found after Whitney came into contact with law enforcement.

The charge is merely an accusation and Whitney 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 Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson is prosecuting the case.

Whitney was detained pending trial. A trial date has not been set.

St. Paul Field Division