SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann sentenced a Bryant, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on May 18, 2026.
Jerry Allan Kretzschmar, 44, was sentenced to two years and six 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.
Kretzschmar was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2025. He pleaded guilty on October 8, 2025.
On February 5, 2025, investigators with the Hamlin County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant at Kretzschmar’s residence in Bryant. The search yielded numerous firearms and drug-related items. Investigators then obtained a second search warrant for a farm property south of Bryant, which Kretzschmar utilized for storage. Several additional firearms were located during the search of that property. A total of 12 firearms were seized between the two properties. Kretzschmar is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a previous felony conviction.
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 Hamlin County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
Kretzschmar was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — South Dakota — U.S. Department of Justice press release.