Source: United States Attorneys General
Headline: Eagle Butte Man Charged with Firearm Violations
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number.
Christian Kersten, age 30, was indicted on February 14, 2018. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on February 16, 2018, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 15 years in custody and/or a $500,000 fine, 6 years of supervised release, and up to $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on January 22, 2018, Kersten, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, being a fugitive from justice, and being an unlawful user of and addicted to a controlled substance, knowingly received and possessed a firearm, which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce and foreign commerce. Additionally, the manufacturer’s serial number had been obliterated from the firearm.
The charges are merely an accusation and Kersten is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges is prosecuting the case.
Kersten was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.