Manderson Man Sentenced to Over Six Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon (DOJ)

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Manderson, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on June 22, 2026.

Gene Kaline, 33, was sentenced to six years and three 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.

Kaline was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in January 2026. He pleaded guilty on March 9, 2026.

In the Fall of 2025, Kaline led local police officers on several dangerous, high-speed chases while eluding them in a stolen vehicle. On one date, he was speeding into oncoming traffic in the course of which he nearly ran over a deputy sheriff attempting to deploy traffic spikes to disable the car Kaline was driving. Kaline was not caught. Days later, Kaline again led officers on a dangerous, high-speed chase without, initially, being caught. Later the same day, he was again involved in a pursuit during which he collided with a police car. Fortunately, no one was injured by the defendant's flagrant actions and the defendant was apprehended. In the stolen car Kaline was driving, officers found a stolen 9mm handgun. Kaline has a 2019 felony conviction for Violation of a Protection Order.

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 Box Elder Police Department, the Pennington County Sheriff's Office, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.

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