Sioux Falls Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, woman, convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on April 22, 2024, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. 

Christina Gonzalez, age 34, was sentenced to one year and eight months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. She was ordered to pay $100 as a statutorily required special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Gonzalez was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in December of 2023. She pleaded guilty on February 6, 2024.

On October 20, 2023, law enforcement responded to a call of a suspicious person trespassing on private property. The reporting party advised the trespasser was a female and that she had a handgun in her possession. When law enforcement arrived, they located Gonzalez next to her vehicle parked near the property. When Gonzalez was placed under arrest, a search of her vehicle was conducted, and law enforcement located the handgun the witness previously saw in her possession. 

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.

Gonzalez was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to continue serving her sentence.

###