Sioux Falls Woman Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon

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, woman convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on April 6, 2026.

Amber Marie Gentapanan, 28, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Gentapanan was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in August 2025. She pleaded guilty on January 12, 2026.

The case arose on March 25, 2025, when Gentapanan possessed a semi-automatic pistol in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She fled from law enforcement and discarded a bag containing the pistol but was apprehended. She is prohibited from possessing any firearm due to her 2022 felony conviction for Possession of a Controlled Substance.

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 Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.

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