Helena felon sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for illegally possessing loaded AR-15 rifle on state capitol grounds

GREAT FALLS - A Helena felon who admitted to illegally possessing a loaded AR-15 rifle found in his vehicle on the state capitol grounds in Helena was sentenced today to 21 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

The defendant, Joshua Nzeyimana, 23, pleaded guilty in April to prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

In court documents, the government alleged that on Dec. 6, 2023, Nzeyimana, a convicted felon on state supervision, possessed a loaded AR-15 rifle in his vehicle on the state capitol grounds in Helena. The rifle was found during a probation search of the vehicle. The rifle had a round in the chamber and was loaded with a 17-round magazine. Nzeyimana was listed as an absconder in Montana Conweb. During an interview, Nzeyimana acknowledged possessing the rifle. He previously shot the rifle, firing a single round in an open field near Elk Park. Nzeyimana knew he could not legally purchase the rifle himself, so he used another person to buy it. In June 2023, Nzeyimana was convicted and sentenced to a four-year suspended sentence in two state felony cases, one for felony criminal endangerment and one for felony assault with a weapon.

The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. The Montana Highway Patrol, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Probation and Parole and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.

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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

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