SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on September 28, 2026. Austin Joseph Means, 35, was sentenced to three years and six 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.

Means was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2025. He pleaded guilty on June 29, 2026.

On March 13, 2025, detectives with the Sioux Falls Police Department executed a search warrant at a residence in northwest Sioux Falls. During the execution of the search warrant, detectives detained a number of individuals, including Means. A subsequent search of the residence revealed, among other items, a semi-automatic pistol and an extended magazine loaded with 15 live rounds of ammunition. Forensic testing of the firearm proved that Means had earlier possessed the firearm. Since Means had been previously convicted of a felony—Possession of a Controlled Substance—he is not legally permitted to possess 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. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell prosecuted the case.

Means was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.