Minnesota Man Sentenced on Firearm Charge
Acting United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that a Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on May 17, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Ron Carlo Carter, age 48, was sentenced to 30 days in custody, followed by 2 years of supervised release, a fine of $5,000, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Carter was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 9, 2020. He pled guilty on November 23, 2020.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on April 9, 2020. On that date, Carter was stopped for speeding near Mobridge, South Dakota. Carter was found in possession of a loaded 9 mm pistol, and he admitted to being an unlawful user of marijuana and methamphetamine, making it illegal for him to possess firearms. Carter will forfeit ownership of the pistol and ammunition to the United States.
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 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 Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, the Bureau of Indian Affairs-Standing Rock Agency, and the Mobridge Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
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