PINE RIDGE, S.D. - A Pine Ridge man has been sentenced to three years and ten months in prison for failing to register as a sex offender and for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Jason Pumpkin Seed, age 36, was arrested in Feb. 2023 after fleeing Rapid City police officers in a stolen car. After abandoning the vehicle, officers recovered a loaded Hi-Point semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number. Forensic analysis linked Pumpkin Seed’s DNA to both the firearm and the car.

The charge for failing to register as a sex offender arose when Pumpkin Seed did not update his address with a compliance officer in May 2023, a requirement due to his prior federal conviction for a violent sex offense. Federal law mandates that he remain registered as a sex offender for life.

In addition to the prison term, Pumpkin Seed faces three years of supervised release following his sentence.