Two South Dakota Men Sentenced in Carjacking Incident

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that two South Dakota men were recently sentenced by Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Judge.

On May 11, 2020, Craig Hirschfeld, age 26, of Box Elder, was sentenced to 7 years in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for Use and Brandishing of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence.

On June 5, 2020, Devin Byker, age 25, of Piedmont, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for Carjacking and an additional term of 7 years for Use and Brandishing of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence, both terms to run consecutively, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

The conviction stems from Hirschfeld and Byker stealing a man’s vehicle, wallet, and cell phone at gunpoint after the man had given them a ride in June 2019 in Rapid City.   

“Anyone who uses a gun to commit a crime in South Dakota is likely be charged federally and can look forward to spending a significant amount of time in federal prison somewhere outside of the state,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.

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 local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.

Hirschfeld and Byker were immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.