U.S. Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Carl Lopez, a/k/a Kenneth Hutsell, age 35, of Oregon, appeared before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken on April 11, 2011, and pled guilty to an indictment that charged him with Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
Lopez was stopped by a South Dakota Highway Patrol Trooper, and a consented search of the vehicle revealed a .45 caliber pistol. Lopez, a felon, stated the firearm belonged to him. Lopez was convicted of a felony in December 2005 in U.S. District Court for Oregon for the crime of Carrying a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking crime, a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Rapid City Police Department, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ted L. McBride.
A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date was set for July 7, 2011. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing.
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