Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 21 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on May 4, 2026.

Omot Musa Karlo, 25, was sentenced to one year and nine 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.

Karlo was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2025. He pleaded guilty on January 12, 2026.

According to court documents, on August 6, 2024, Karlo was a passenger in a vehicle that fled from law enforcement in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The pursuit ended when a tire on the vehicle went flat, causing the vehicle to travel into a ditch near South Southeastern Avenue. As the vehicle was going into the ditch, Karlo exited the passenger door and fled on foot. While fleeing on foot and before being apprehended, Karlo discarded a firearm in the tall grass along the path from which he left the vehicle.

Karlo was prohibited from possessing a firearm as a result of prior felony convictions, including offenses involving firearms. He was on federal supervised release for a prior conviction at the time of this offense.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.

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