Billings felon sentenced for illegal possession of firearms

BILLINGS—A Billings man who admitted illegally having guns after having been convicted of a felony was sentenced today to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Franklin Joseph Takeshorse, 40, pleaded guilty in January to prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

The prosecution said in court documents in the case that in June 2019, the Billings Police Department received a call of a suspicious person attempting to enter a closed business. The business reported the person went back into his car and passed out. Officers approached the car and saw Takeshorse asleep and a rifle on the back seat. Takeshorse was on probation from a 2007 felony conviction and there was a warrant for his arrest. The rifle was recovered along with a pistol that was in a backpack next to Takeshorse. The rifle was unloaded, while the pistol was loaded.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

This case is part of Project Guardian, a Department of Justice initiative launched in the fall of 2019 to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Through Project Guardian, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Montana is working to enhance coordination of its federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement partners in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. In addition, Project Guardian supports information sharing and taking action when individuals are denied a firearm purchase by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System for mental health reasons or because they are a prohibited person.