Man Who Bought Rifle for Kyle Rittenhouse Avoids Jail Time

Witness Dominick Black testifies during the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse at the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha, Wis., on Nov. 2, 2021. (Sean Krajacic/Pool/Getty Images)

The man who admitted to buying the rifle Kyle Rittenhouse used in Kenosha, Wisconsin in 2020 pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor on Monday.

Dominick Black was charged with two felonies related to purchasing the gun. Each charge could have landed him up to six years in jail. But he saw those charges dismissed with prejudice in a plea deal.

Black pleaded no contest to contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Kenosha County Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder accepted the no contest as a guilty plea.

Black agreed to pay a $2,000 fine in the plea deal and received no jail time or probation. Black, who has referred to Rittenhouse as a brother, and was dating the teenager's sister when the shootings unfolded amid rioting in Wisconsin, told the trial last year that he bought a rifle for his friend.

Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger, who failed in his bid to prosecute Rittenhouse, told the brief hearing that Black was cooperative during the Rittenhouse investigation and noted that he testified during the trial, which ended with Rittenhouse being acquitted of all charges.

"The resolution that we have reached in this case involves the issuance of a county ordinance citation for contributing to the delinquency of a child, under Kenosha County Ordinance 9-948.40," Binger said. "Mr. Rittenhouse was legally considered a child at the time of the purchase of this firearm, and therefore Mr. Black would be liable for violating that county ordinance. We have agreed to a fine of $2,000 here."

Before Rittenhouse was acquitted, Schroeder dismissed a misdemeanor weapons charge against him.

The judge said at the time Wisconsin law allowed Rittenhouse to possess the weapon despite being younger than 18.

Tony Cotton, Black's lawyer, told reporters after the hearing that part of the reason for prosecutors agreeing to the deal was because Rittenhouse was acquitted.

"I think the moment the jury acquitted Rittenhouse it made it pretty clear that a much lesser situated defendant would have to have a dismissal or a similar outcome," Cotton said.

Black was pleased with the jury's decision and "he's glad to have this nightmare behind them," the lawyer added.

"It was really a long road that he's been down here. We always felt all along like the two charges were a bit of an overkill situation for him. That's why we filed a motion to dismiss right out of the gate here. It took a long time to get to this point. But I have to credit the district attorney's office, they really did the right thing and reached the right decision ultimately," he said.