United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Lower Brule, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on June 13, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Lance Corey Flute, age 37, was sentenced to 4 months in custody, 2 years of Supervised Release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Flute was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 21, 2016. He pled guilty on March 8, 2016.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on December 17, 2015, when the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Crow Creek Agency, received a call from the Lower Brule dispatch indicating a male had shot himself in the stomach while inside a vehicle and had died at the Lower Brule clinic. The victim had been a passage in a vehicle driven and registered to Flute. Investigation into the shooting revealed that the deceased male had accidentally shot himself with a rifle belonging to Flute.
Flute, who had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, was prohibited from owning a firearm.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Crow Creek Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Flute is to report to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service on or before June 27, 2016.