Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on July 8, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.

Franky Torres, age 29, was sentenced to six years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Torres was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 18, 2021, and pleaded guilty on April 13, 2022.  The conviction stems from Torres, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, knowingly possessing a Springfield Armory, model XDs-45 Mod 2, .45 AUTO caliber, semi-automatic pistol, and a North American Arms Corporation, model NAA-22M, .22 Winchester Magnum Rifle caliber, single-action revolver, which were found after Torres came into contact with law enforcement in July 2021 in Rapid City.

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 was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Rapid City Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.

Torres was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

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