RAPID CITY, SD (KELO) -- A federal judge has sentenced a Rapid City man to more than two years in prison on a firearms charge.

30-year-old Andrew Cortes pleaded guilty in May to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

The case goes back to December 2024, when Rapid City police made a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Cortes was a passenger.

Prosecutors say Cortes, who was armed with a pistol, ran from the scene. The weapon fell as officers caught him.

Cortes had a previous felony conviction.

The case is part of Operation Take Back America, the effort by the U.S. Justice Department to stop illegal immigration and violent crimes.

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