Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing an Unregistered Firearm (DOJ)

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. The sentencing took place on February 23, 2026.

Alan Leon Red Willow, 25, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Red Willow was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Possession of an Unregistered Firearm by a federal grand jury in July 2025. He pleaded guilty on October 31, 2025.

In March of 2024, in Rapid City, South Dakota, Red Willow was driving a stolen vehicle. Law enforcement recognized this vehicle as stolen and approached the vehicle. Red Willow unsuccessfully tried to evade law enforcement. Inside the car underneath Red Willow's seat, law enforcement found a sawed-off shotgun that was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Certain firearms, such as shotguns with a barrel length under 18 inches or an overall length under 26 inches, must be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. It is a federal crime for a person to possess such a firearm that is not registered to him.

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 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.

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