United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for the crime of Possession of Ammunition by a Felon.
Aaron Santistevan, age 43, was indicted on February 13, 2019. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on February 22, 2019, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on December 28, 2018, Santistevan, having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for more than one year, possessed 40 rounds of copper-jacketed hollow point .50 Action Express caliber handgun ammunition.
The charge is merely an accusation and Santistevan is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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 the Department’s 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.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook is prosecuting the case.
Santistevan was released on conditions pending trial. A trial date has not been set.