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 August 18, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.

Westerly Seid, age 28, was sentenced to 30 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.

Seid was indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2021 and pleaded guilty in May 2022. The conviction stems from Seid, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, knowingly possessing a Taurus, model PT38S, .38 Super caliber, semi-automatic pistol, which was found after Seid came into contact with law enforcement in May 2021.

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 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.

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