A woman from Rapid City, South Dakota, has been sentenced to six years and six months in federal prison after being convicted of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The sentencing took place on January 12, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler.
Talisse Fighting Bear, 34, received the prison term along with three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Her federal sentence will run concurrently with a state sentence she is already serving.
Fighting Bear was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2025 and pleaded guilty on October 8, 2026.
According to authorities, Fighting Bear pointed a handgun at several people inside a grocery store in Rapid City. Prior to entering the store, she had fired one round into the air. Inside the store, she held an employee at gunpoint and directed her to move before pointing the weapon at two other individuals. Because of a previous felony conviction, Fighting Bear was prohibited from possessing firearms.
“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,” according to United States Attorney Ron Parsons.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Rapid City Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted it.
Fighting Bear was immediately remanded into custody following sentencing.
