Pautler Gets 46 Months for Sawed-Off Shotgun Possession

Jeffrey Robert Pautler, 49, of Ellis Grove, Illinois, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a sawed-off shotgun and a rifle, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced today. The conviction stems from a May 2016 domestic disturbance that spiraled into a criminal firearms investigation.

On May 15, 2016, Randolph County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call at Pautler’s residence. They found him agitated, with bloodied hands and jeans, brandishing a shovel and declaring his intent to commit suicide. After de-escalating the situation, deputies had Pautler taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation. With consent from his live-in girlfriend, authorities searched the home and uncovered the illegal weapons.

Inside the residence, investigators found a sawed-off shotgun—shorter than federal law allows—and a rifle, both unregistered and in the possession of a convicted felon. Pautler later admitted to federal agents that he had obtained the firearms from a neighbor. He claimed he used the rifle to shoot coyotes and said he had never fired the shotgun.

Pautler also admitted to daily marijuana use, saying it helped manage chronic pain. But his drug use and access to deadly weapons raised red flags, especially given his criminal history. At the time of the arrest, he was on parole for a 1991 second-degree murder conviction out of Cape Girardeau County, Missouri. He had been released on parole on October 22, 2014—less than two years before being caught with the firearms.

On October 6, 2016, Pautler pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Benton, Illinois, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and to possession of an unregistered sawed-off shotgun. In addition to the 46-month sentence, he was ordered to serve three years of supervised release, pay a $3,000 fine, and a $200 special assessment.

The case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen B. Clark prosecuted the case. Pautler’s return to prison underscores the federal crackdown on violent offenders who rearm themselves while under court supervision.