Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Rapid City Man Charged with Illegal Possession of a 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.
Caleb Waukechon, age 26, was indicted on June 23, 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on July 18, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 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 charge stems from Waukechon, an unlawful user of a controlled substance, knowingly possessing a Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol in November 2021 in Rapid City. The charge is merely an accusation and Waukechon 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.
Waukechon was detained pending trial. A trial date has been scheduled for September 20, 2022.
###