Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Selling Firearms in South Dakota

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on November 12, 2024, in Sioux Falls.

Ocean Stevenson, age 21, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay a $100 as a statutorily required special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Stevenson was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024. He pleaded guilty on August 5, 2024.

On December 13, 2023, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted an operation targeting Stevenson as an illegal seller of firearms. During the operation, an ATF agent assumed an undercover role and exchanged in communications with Stevenson, during which Stevenson agreed to sell a .40 caliber handgun. The agent met with Stevenson at a location in Sioux Falls to complete the sale. Stevenson is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2023 felony conviction in Pennington County.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the ATF and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.

Stevenson was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to continue serving his sentence.