Allen J. Butler, III, Gun Possession by Felon, AL 2024

MOBILE, AL – Allen J. Butler, III, of Theodore, Alabama, is headed to federal prison for nine years after pleading guilty to both possessing a firearm as a prohibited person – a convicted felon – and escaping custody. Senior Judge Callie V.S. Granade handed down the sentence in the Southern District of Alabama, bringing a close to a case marked by brazen defiance and a multi-state manhunt.

The trouble began November 14, 2016, when Butler entered a guilty plea to the firearm charge, a violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g)(1). He was ordered held by the U.S. Marshal Service pending a sentencing hearing within 90 days. It didn’t take long for Butler to demonstrate his contempt for the system.

On January 6, 2017, while being transported by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office to University of Southern Alabama hospital for complaints of swallowing metal, Butler managed to unlock his handcuffs using a partial key and bolted from the facility. The escape triggered a large-scale search, plastered across local news, as law enforcement scrambled to recapture the fugitive. Butler wasn’t going down without a fight.

Investigators with the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force quickly learned Butler had fled to New Orleans, Louisiana, before potentially circling back to the Mobile area. The relentless pursuit led them to an apartment in Wilmer, Alabama, where they found Butler hiding, attempting to evade capture for nearly five days. The task force finally took him back into custody, ending the chase.

The escape charge, a violation of Title 18, United States Code § 751(A), was added to Butler’s rap sheet. Ultimately, he was sentenced to 109 months – nine years and three months – in federal prison for both offenses. Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person carries a maximum 10-year sentence, while escape is punishable by up to five years.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Mobile Field Office, the U.S. Marshal Service, and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Department all contributed to the investigation, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Baugh. This case serves as a stark reminder that attempts to evade justice will be met with swift and decisive action from federal authorities.

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