SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Charles B. Kornmann sentenced a Watertown, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on May 18, 2026.
Kyle Ashton Carpenter, 26, was sentenced to a term of 12 months in custody, which he had served since his arrest in May 2025, as well as three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Carpenter was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2025. He pleaded guilty on October 8, 2025.
Carpenter was found in possession of a handgun following an incident in early May 2025. He is prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of his prior felony conviction for assaulting a law enforcement officer. He was aware of his prohibition, yet he purchased a handgun and used it at a firing range. The handgun was seized and it will be forfeited.
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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
Carpenter 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.