Sioux Empire Today

United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Ray Steele, a resident of Lead, South Dakota, has been sentenced for unlawful possession of a machinegun. The sentencing was conducted by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier on July 11, 2025.

Steele, aged 63, received a sentence of three years and five months in federal prison. Following his release, he will be subject to three years of supervised release and must pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

The charges against Steele included possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and unlawful possession of a machinegun. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024 and entered a guilty plea on April 21, 2025.

Between late 2020 and May 2024, Steele, who is prohibited from possessing firearms due to his status as a felon, had firearms purchased for him by another individual. He then engaged in building rifles of various calibers and illegally manufactured machinegun conversion devices designed to convert semi-automatic rifles into fully automatic machineguns. These converted rifles were used by Steele and others for shooting.

During the execution of a search warrant at his residence, law enforcement officers discovered six machinegun conversion devices. Among these was one device that Steele was preparing to ship to an individual in California. Additionally, numerous firearms belonging to Steele were seized during the search.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives along with the Lead Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson led the prosecution.

Following sentencing, Steele was remanded into custody under the supervision of the U.S. Marshals Service.