BILLINGS, Montana — In a shocking turn of events, a Billings man has been sentenced to two years and three months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm after an accidental shooting left a victim injured.
Aaron Clifford Olson, 50, pleaded guilty in March to prohibited person in possession of a firearm, a charge that stems from a shooting incident on August 25, 2022.
According to court documents, Olson was sitting in the left rear passenger seat of a car when the 9mm pistol he was holding accidentally went off, shooting the victim in the back. Olson then fled the scene, leaving the victim behind.
Olson had a previous felony drug conviction in Yellowstone County, which made him prohibited from possessing firearms. At the time of the shooting, he was also on supervision.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided over the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas K. Godfrey. The Billings Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence in communities nationwide.
Olson’s sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.
Related Federal Cases
- Drew Parker Seymour, Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm, Montana 2022 · Texas
- Caelus James Hattel, Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm, Montana 2025 · New York
- Doyle Wesley Pearson, Prohibited Person in Possession of Firearms, Montana 2016 · Montana
- Casey Wallace Leider, Felon in Possession of Firearm, Montana 2021 · Indiana
- Luis Javier Gaspar, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Montana 2018 · California
Key Facts
- State: Montana
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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