A 29 year old Rapid City man has been charged with Threats against the President and unlawful possession of a firearm. Lucian Celestine pled not guilty earlier this month to the firearm charge. The charges stem after Celestine acquired a bolt action rifle and ammunition late last June. Celestine is prohibited to possess any firearm. He also went on to threaten to shoot President Donald Trump from atop Mt. Rushmore during the July 3 visit to the monument.
If found guilty, Celestine could face up to a maximum penalty of 10 years in Federal Prison, a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release as well as $100 assessment fee to Federal Victims Fund and possible restitution. Celestine is currently detained pending trial. He is expected to be back in court in November.
The investigation is being conducted by The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the United States Secret Service.