A man from Sturgis, South Dakota, has been sentenced to federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. Kaine Sander, 22, received a sentence of one year and ten months in federal prison. He will also serve two years of supervised release and must pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Sander was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2025 on the charge of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. He pleaded guilty to the charge on October 31, 2025.
The incident leading to Sander’s arrest occurred in June 2025 in Meade County. Sander was a passenger in a car that was stopped by police because of a cracked windshield. During the stop, law enforcement found that Sander had a revolver, ammunition, and THC in his possession. Because he had previously been convicted of a felony, Sander is prohibited from having firearms or ammunition under federal law.
United States Attorney Ron Parsons stated: “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.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives worked with the Meade County Sheriff’s Office and Sturgis Police Department to investigate this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted it.
Following sentencing on February 23, 2026 by U.S. District Court Judge Camela C. Theeler, Sander was immediately remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
