DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
District of South Dakota

For Immediate Release

Friday, August 2, 2019
Ronald A. Parsons, Jr.
, United States Attorney
Contact: Ace Crawford

Rapid City Man Sentenced for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a 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 S. Croyle, age 21, was sentenced on August 2, 2019, to 2 years in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Croyle was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2018. The conviction stems from Croyle being in possession of a handgun before jumping from a moving vehicle, following a police pursuit at Rapid City on August 8, 2018. Croyle is prohibited from possessing firearms based on a previous felony conviction for Possession of a Controlled Substance in 2017.

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.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Kelderman prosecuted the case.

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

###

St. Paul Field Division