Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Over 7 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm Charges (DOJ)

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on June 8, 2026.

Xavier Orrin Hinds, 44, was sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Hinds was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in December 2024. He pleaded guilty on March 2, 2026.

On October 8, 2024, law enforcement officers discovered Hinds in possession of firearms following an automobile accident on I-229 in Sioux Falls. Despite being aware he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions, Hinds was carrying a pistol on his person and had another handgun inside his car.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson prosecuted the case.

Hinds was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to serve his federal sentence.

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.