Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm was sentenced on August 25, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol.

Levi Shanteau, age 25, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Shanteau was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 3, 2020. He pled guilty on June 10, 2020.

The conviction stemmed from an incident on January 30, 2020, in Sioux Falls, where police responded to an escalating violent situation. Levi Shanteau left the house as the police arrived and a loaded handgun was found tucked in his pants. Shanteau was on probation at the time for a 2018 felony drug conviction, which he knew prohibited him from possessing a gun.

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 the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice's signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department's past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.

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

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