Michael Butler Gets 63 Months for Illegal Firearm Possession

Michael Butler, 37, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, is headed to federal prison for 63 months after being convicted of illegally possessing a loaded .22 caliber revolver. The sentence, handed down today in U.S. District Court, marks the latest crackdown on gun crimes in the Western District of Arkansas.

On April 27, 2016, Arkansas State Probation and Parole officers were conducting a routine compliance check in Sebastian County when they spotted Butler exiting a truck. As officers approached, Butler reached toward the back of his waistband. Ordered to the ground, he complied, and authorities recovered a loaded revolver from his person. He was arrested on the spot.

Court records confirm Butler admitted to possessing the firearm during questioning. At the time of the arrest, he had at least one prior felony conviction, making his possession of any firearm a federal offense. A federal grand jury returned an indictment in May 2016; Butler pleaded guilty the following month.

The Honorable Chief Judge P. K. Holmes, III presided over the sentencing hearing in Fort Smith. In addition to 63 months behind bars, Butler will serve three years of supervised release upon his release from prison.

This case was prosecuted under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative, a national effort aimed at reducing gun violence through coordinated federal, state, and local enforcement. The initiative has prioritized prosecuting felons who illegally possess firearms across high-crime areas.

The investigation was led by Arkansas State Probation and Parole, the Fort Smith Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney David Harris handled the prosecution. Court documents are available via the Public Access to Electronic Records system at www.pacer.gov.