United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell has announced the sentencing of a Sioux Falls man for firearm possession as a prohibited person. U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schrier sentenced Jerad Wade Olson, 35, to three years and ten months in federal prison on December 16, 2024. Following his prison term, Olson will serve three years of supervised release and must pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Olson was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024 and pleaded guilty in September of the same year. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) identified Olson in December 2023 as a firearms seller in Sioux Falls despite being prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous felony convictions.
An ATF operation on December 13, 2023, involved an agent posing as a buyer who arranged to purchase a Walther 9mm pistol from Olson for $500 at his residence in Vermillion.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through community collaboration with law enforcement. The Department launched an enhanced violent crime reduction strategy for PSN on May 26, 2021, focusing on fostering trust within communities and supporting violence prevention initiatives.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF and the Sioux Falls Police Department, with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuting the case. Olson has been remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.