RAPID CITY, S.D. (KELO) — A Rapid City man was sentenced to four years in prison in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crimes Victims Fund.

Warren Hotchkiss, 42, was indicted for Possession of an Unregistered Firearm by a federal grand jury in September of 2022. He pleaded guilty on November 21, 2022.

Hotchkiss was found to be in possession of a semi-automatic rifle with a barrel of fewer than sixteen inches in August of 2022. The weapon was not registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required.

This case was 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 to make neighborhoods safer for residents. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy, strengthening PSN based on four core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring results.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson.

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