Mission Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, Larceny, and Failure to Appear

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, Larceny, and Failure to Appear. The sentencing took place on September 16, 2024.

Hunter Brave, 21, was sentenced to one year and ten months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, $1,000 restitution, and ordered to pay a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Brave was indicted for possession of an unregistered firearm in September of 2023. He was indicted for failure to appear, and robbery and assault with a dangerous weapon, by a federal grand jury in January of 2024. On May 14, 2024, a Superseding Information charging Larceny was filed. Brave pleaded guilty in all three cases on May 22, 2024.

On August 6, 2023, Brave was in a vehicle parked outside the Sunrise Apartments in Mission, South Dakota, on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. Brave was in possession of a "short shotgun" also known as a sawed-off shotgun, and fired a round off prompting calls to 911 by community members. Law enforcement responded and found Brave with the shotgun that was not registered to him in the National Firearms and Transfer Record. Following his indictment, Brave was released on bond conditions.

On November 28, 2023, Brave and a co-defendant stole a vehicle in Mission, driving in a reckless manner, causing damage to the vehicle. On November 30, 2023, Brave failed to appear for a bond revocation hearing in federal court in Pierre as required by his bond conditions.

These cases were investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.

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