Man sentenced for firearm possession

Acting U.S. Attorney Lynn Jordheim announced that on Wednesday, Matthew Marc Bakke of Binford, N.D., was sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Ralph R. Erickson on a charge of felon in possession of firearms.

Based upon his extensive criminal history in North Dakota and other factors, Bakke was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in North Dakota. Bakke was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims Fund.

Bakke, 28, pleaded guilty on April 6 to possessing a .40-caliber pistol and a .308 caliber rifle after he had previously been convicted in North Dakota District Court of three felony crimes. Bakke was convicted of burglary in 2002, and accomplice to burglary and accomplice to theft of property in 2005. His state court felony convictions prohibited him from possessing firearms under state and federal law.

The firearms were recovered on Jan. 6, 2010, by the Griggs County Sheriff’s Department after officers were called to respond to a disturbance at a residence in Binford. The investigation showed that Bakke illegally possessed the two firearms between November 2009 and January 2010 in the District of North Dakota.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Griggs County Sheriff’s Department.

Tags: north dakota, news, crimes