United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man was convicted of Illegal Possession of a Firearm following a two-day federal jury trial held in Rapid City. The guilty verdict was returned on March 30, 2022.
Montgomery Lebeau, age 42, was charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The conviction stems from Lebeau, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, knowingly possessing a Hi-Point, model JCP, .40 Smith & Wesson caliber, semi-automatic pistol, which was found after Lebeau came into contact with law enforcement in October 2021 in Rapid City.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case. A sentencing date has not been set.