Presho Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm Violations

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Clint Brown, age 36, of Presho, South Dakota, appeared before U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange on April 1, 2013, and pled guilty to felon and drug user in possession of a firearm. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years in custody, a $250,000 fine, or both; three years of supervised release; and a $100 special assessment.

In 2004, Brown had previously been convicted of three felony offenses arising out of conduct occurring in Lyman County and Pennington County. On August 17, 2012, Brown was arrested by state authorities, and it was determined he possessed two firearms, a 12-gauge shotgun, and a 22-caliber rifle. It was also determined that he had been using methamphetamine, and numerous items of drug paraphernalia were found in his Lyman County home. State charges are still pending in Lyman County related to the August 17, 2012 arrest.

The investigation was conducted by the Lyman County Sheriff’s Office; the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force; the South Dakota Forensic Laboratory; the South Dakota Public Health Laboratory; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy M. Maher and Kathryn Rich.

A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for June 12, 2013. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.