A California man has been sentenced to federal prison for lying about his residency in order to illegally purchase firearms in South Dakota.
Jacob Barba, 39, of Playa del Rey, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to three counts of making false statements during gun purchases. He will also serve two years of supervised release, pay a $5,000 fine and a $300 special assessment, and must forfeit seven firearms.
Prosecutors say Barba ran a residency scam between December 2023 and March 2024 by leasing a small storage closet in Rapid City and falsely claiming it as his home. Using the fake address, he obtained a South Dakota driver’s license, concealed carry permit, and hunting license, then used those documents to buy seven guns, despite living in California.
Investigators say Barba typically flew into South Dakota, stayed in Airbnbs, bought firearms, and returned home. He also helped others fraudulently claim South Dakota residency to avoid income taxes.
U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons called the scheme “a residency scam run by a California man pretending to live in a small storage closet.”
The case was prosecuted under Operation Take Back America, a national DOJ initiative targeting illegal gun activity and other crimes.
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