Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.

Michael High Elk, age 30, was sentenced on August 9, 2019, to 5 years and 11 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

The charge related to High Elk, a previously convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms, knowingly possessing a Jimenez Arms, model U.A. 380, .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol, which was found in High Elk’s car after he led police on a high-speed chase in Rapid City on January 30, 2019.

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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

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

High Elk was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

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