Michael Allen Smith Sentenced for Possessing a Sawed-off Shotgun

In a shocking turn of events, 31-year-old Michael Allen Smith was sentenced to 180 months in prison for possessing a 20-gauge sawed-off shotgun in Minnesota.

The sentencing took place yesterday in federal court in St. Paul, where Smith was found guilty of one count of being a career criminal in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm.

According to the evidence presented at Smith’s three-day trial, he possessed an unregistered 20-gauge shotgun with a barrel length of less than 18 inches on April 28, 2012. As a felon, Smith is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.

Smith’s prior offenses, which include assault in the fourth degree in Washington County in 2005 and 2006, and murder in the third degree in Ramsey County in 2001, made him subject to the federal Armed Career Criminal Act. This act mandates a minimum of 15 years in federal prison for anyone convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm with at least three prior state or federal convictions for crimes of violence or serious drug crimes.

Since Smith’s prior offenses constitute crimes of violence, the federal criminal justice system does not have parole, meaning he will serve virtually the entire sentence imposed behind bars.

The case was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Minneapolis Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Newberry.

The case was charged under Project Exile Minneapolis, a law enforcement initiative launched in 2010 to reduce gun violence. Through this initiative, the Minneapolis Police Department and the ATF work together to apprehend serial criminals for violations of gun laws.

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Violent Crime

Crime in Illinois 1991: A Year of Escalating Violence

Jul 1, 1991

Violent Crime

Ayoade Akinyemi, Violent Crime, Illinois 2003

Feb 11, 2003

Violent Crime

Herman Cook, Murder, Washington District of Columbia 2020

Oct 18, 2021

Violent Crime

Jaquan Gray, Federal Criminal Case, Connecticut, 2020

Jan 15, 2020