Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Federal Prison for Firearms Possession

HOT SPRINGS – A Hot Springs man was sentenced yesterday to 90 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Hot Springs.

According to court documents, on or about July 11, 2021, officers with the Hot Springs Police Department were dispatched to a residential neighborhood after receiving a report of a drive-by shooting on a residence.  Shortly after arrival to the area, Steven D. Young, age 41, arrived at the residence demanding to know who shot up his house.

As Young excited his vehicle, officers observed a .45 caliber handgun in the driver’s side floorboard.  Young was subsequently arrested.  The firearm was seized and determined to be loaded with live rounds of ammunition and to have previously been reported stolen. Investigating officers determined Young was a felon and prohibited from possessing firearms.

A Special Agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (ATF) confirmed that the firearm was manufactured outside the State of Arkansas and, thus, had traveled in interstate commerce.

U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.

The Hot Springs Police Department and the ATF investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Achorn prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov