Source: Office of United States Attorneys
RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on January 27, 2025.
Cylis Chipps, 21, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Chipps was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in October 2024. He pleaded guilty on November 20, 2024.
On September 15, 2024, Chipps was discovered by law enforcement to be in possession of a pistol along with items that tested positive for methamphetamine. Chipps had previously been convicted of the felony crimes of possession of a controlled substance and stealing a firearm. It is unlawful for a person who has been convicted of a felony to thereafter possess a firearm.
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 Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Chipps was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.