United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on December 20, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.

Khio Khaoon, age 54, was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Khaoon was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 4, 2018.  He pled guilty on September 28, 2018.

The conviction stemmed from an incident on September 29, 2017, when law enforcement executed a search warrant at Khaoon’s residence and found a Harrington & Richardson .32 double-action revolver, a Stevens-Springfield .22 caliber Rifle, and 225 rounds of ammunition.  Khaoon was prohibited from possessing the guns because he had previously been convicted of a serious misdemeanor in 2003 for carrying weapons and possession of amphetamine, as well as in 2009 for felony possession of a controlled substance. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. 

This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department, the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks, and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Explosives, and Firearms.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.

Khaoon was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.