Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

RAPID CITY - 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 an Unregistered Firearm and Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number.

Christopher Fullen, age 29, was indicted in October of 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on November 8, 2022, and pleaded 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.

In April of 2022, in Rapid City, Fullen was found in possession of a Sturm, Ruger, & Company Incorporated, model 10/22, .22 Long Rifle caliber, semi-automatic rifle with an obliterated serial number and a barrel length of less than 16 inches, which was found after Fullen came into contact with law enforcement.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The charges are merely an accusation and Fullen is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson is prosecuting the case.

Fullen was released pending trial. A trial date has not been set.