Rapid City Man Sentenced on Firearm Charge
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Joseph Laroche, age 36, was sentenced on October 1, 2019, to 4 years and 9 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The conviction stems from Laroche, a previously convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms, knowingly possessing a Jimenez Arms, model J.A. Nine .9x19mm Luger caliber, semi-automatic pistol, which was found in Laroche’s vehicle during a traffic stop in Rapid City on November 22, 2018.
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.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson prosecuted the case.
Laroche was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
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