RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on September 28, 2026.
Avery Hawk Wing, 36, was sentenced to three years and 10 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. Forfeiture was also ordered.
Hawk Wing was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2024. He was found guilty on July 2, 2026, following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City.
Evidence at trial showed Hawk Wing handled a rifle that was in a tote bag that belonged to him. Hawk Wing told law enforcement that he touched the firearm when going through his tote bag. Unsurprisingly, forensic examination revealed Hawk Wing’s DNA on several locations of the firearm, consistent with him handling the firearm. Hawk Wing was previously convicted of a felony crime punishable beyond a year in prison and, as a result, is prohibited from possessing firearms.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities .
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Hawk Wing 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.