Mission Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon

PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota man convicted of Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. The sentencing took place on July 27, 2026.

Tevin Thin Elk, Sr., age 29, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Thin Elk was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2025. He pleaded guilty on April 27, 2026.

The conviction stems from an incident on April 5, 2025, when Thin Elk, who was on supervised release for his prior federal conviction for Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm, was encountered in a rural area in the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. Law enforcement had been called to the area due to neighbors hearing multiple gunshots. Law enforcement encountered Thin Elk, who was intoxicated. Officers observed numerous spent shotgun shells and open alcohol containers and recovered a semi-automatic shotgun nearby.

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 the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.

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