Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell has reported the seizure of 230 firearms illegally possessed in South Dakota during 2024. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota charged around 112 defendants with illegal firearm activities, including possession and use.
"By seizing firearms from individuals who are prohibited from possessing firearms, law enforcement agencies prevented countless violent and drug-related crimes from occurring in communities across South Dakota," stated Ramsdell. She acknowledged the collaboration among federal, state, and tribal resources to tackle dangerous individuals and remove illegal weapons.
The operations involved several agencies: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), South Dakota State Highway Patrol, and various local sheriff’s offices and police departments.
Several notable cases were resolved by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2024:
- In United States v. Bryan Louis Archambeau, Archambeau was convicted for robbery using a firearm after incidents at Sioux Falls stores in November 2023. He received nearly 11 years in federal prison.
- United States v. Charles Colhoff involved a shooting incident where Colhoff was found with a Browning 9mm pistol used in the crime despite being prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior offense. He was sentenced to nine years.
- Jerel Running Bear was sentenced to 27 years for second-degree murder and discharging a firearm during violence after an incident involving fentanyl pills acquisition gone wrong.
- Justin James Schneider faced over 13 years following charges related to an armed standoff on June 20, 2023.
- Antoine Ray Thomas participated in a methamphetamine and fentanyl distribution operation involving firearms; he received a sentence of 20 years.
These prosecutions are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aiming to reduce violent crime through community trust-building and strategic enforcement priorities as outlined by the Department of Justice's strategy launched on May 26, 2021.
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