Black Hawk Man Sentenced to Federal Prison on Firearm Charge

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Chief Judge Roberto Lange has sentenced a Black Hawk, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on July 2, 2024.

Kyle Puckett, 33, was sentenced to three years and five months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Puckett was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in June of 2023. He pleaded guilty on April 5, 2024, to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

The charges were filed after Puckett, who is a convicted felon, was arrested in Rapid City with a loaded pistol, as well as over a thousand dollars in cash, numerous loaded magazines, a distributable amount of methamphetamine, and drug distribution paraphernalia. 

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.

Puckett was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.