Springfield Man Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession and Sale of a Stolen Firearm

Springfield, Ill. – A Springfield, Ill., man, Dalton Smith, 29, has been sentenced to the Bureau of Prisons for three years to be followed by three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm and selling a stolen Colt AR-15 style rifle

During the sentencing hearing, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Sue E. Myerscough found that the defendant, a convicted felon, sold a AR-15 he knew to be stolen for $450. The semi-automatic firearm contained a high-capacity magazine, capable of holding 30 rounds of ammunition. The AR-15 was one of a number of firearms and firearm parts stolen from a Springfield residence in January of 2023. Smith was previously convicted in North Carolina of felony breaking and entering.

Smith pleaded guilty on April 25, 2023, and has been detained in the custody of the United States Marshals Service since his arrest on March 16, 2023.

The statutory penalty for possessing a firearm as a felon is up to 15 years imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release and $250,000 fine. The statutory penalty for knowingly possessing and selling a stolen weapon is up to 10 years imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. 

The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sierra Senor-Moore represented the government in the prosecution.