Anthony Thomas Lee Baker, 43, of Watertown, has been sentenced to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, according to an announcement made yesterday by United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. The sentencing by Judge Charles B. Kornmann took place on May 19, 2025.
Following his prison term, Baker will also serve 5 years of supervised release and has been ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The forfeiture of the firearm involved was also mandated.
The federal charge stemmed from an incident in Watertown where law enforcement stopped Baker while he was driving a vehicle. Authorities discovered a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol in his possession. Due to prior felony convictions, Baker is legally prohibited from owning any firearms. Notably, Baker has at least three prior violent felony convictions, including a 2017 conviction in Ramsey County, Minnesota, for possessing another firearm after a crime of violence conviction.
This sentencing follows Baker’s guilty plea on September 30, 2024, after being indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Watertown Police Department conducted the investigation that led to these federal charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted this case. Baker was immediately taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
This case also has ties to an incident on August 9, 2023, where Baker, then 41, was apprehended in Clear Lake, SD, after absconding from the Codington County Detention Center. Reports from the Deuel County Sheriff’s Office indicated that Baker was located at America’s Best Value Inn and Suites. After refusing to cooperate and making threats towards law enforcement, the hotel was evacuated. The Watertown Police Department assisted in communication efforts, and the Codington County Special Response Team was called to the scene, ultimately leading to Baker’s surrender.
At the time of his arrest in Clear Lake, Baker faced multiple felony warrants from Codington County, including charges related to firearm offenses, drug distribution and possession, eluding law enforcement, aggravated assault, and theft. He also faced new charges in Deuel County, including possession and intent to distribute a controlled substance, maintaining a place for drug use or sale, possession of drug paraphernalia, obstruction of law enforcement, and resisting arrest.
You can read the full article at KXLG.