Aberdeen Man Sentenced in Federal Court for Gun Charge

ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced an Aberdeen, South Dakota man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.  The sentencing took place on December 8, 2025.

Christopher Emmanuel Walton, 35, was sentenced to serve five months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Walton was indicted for Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm by a federal grand jury in July 2024.  He pleaded guilty on November 3, 2025.

Walton is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior domestic violence conviction.  In June 2024, Walton’s roommate borrowed his car to go target shooting.  When he returned home, the roommate inadvertently left a pistol in the trunk.  Later that day, Walton discovered the firearm in his vehicle as he was preparing to leave for parenting time with his children.  Since he was already late, Walton put the firearm inside his backpack rather than take it back inside to his roommate.  An Edmunds County deputy pulled Walton over and found the firearm in the trunk of his vehicle.

This case was investigated by the FBI.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.