Fort Smith Man Sentenced to Over 9 Years in Federal Prison for Firearms Possession

FORT SMITH – A Fort Smith man was sentenced today to 110 months in federal prison followed by three years supervised release on one count of Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The Honorable Judge P.K. Holmes, III, presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fort Smith.

According to court documents, on November 6, 2021, a Fort Smith, Arkansas, Police Department patrol officer on routine patrol observed a Chrysler 300 turn off Rogers Avenue and park behind a closed business. Dustin Elijah Wells, age 30, and two others got out of the vehicle and began walking past closed storefronts. The patrol officer approached Wells and the two other individuals. Wells provided identification to the officer who noted Wells was a State of Arkansas parolee with a valid parole search waiver on file. The officer searched Wells pursuant to the search waiver, found a small quantity of drugs and arrested Wells. Wells, under arrest and handcuffed, fled on foot. He fell and was apprehended. Wells was taken for medical treatment due to injuries he said he suffered when fleeing on foot from the police officer. A search of the vehicle resulted in officers locating a loaded handgun under the steering column of the vehicle.

On December 3, 2021, Fort Smith Police Department detectives received information that Wells was staying at a motel in Fort Smith. Detectives conducted surveillance on a specific room at the motel and approached Wells when they saw him leaving. Wells fled on foot but was apprehended. When Wells was arrested, a loaded handgun fell prom his possession on to the ground. A search of Wells vehicle at the motel, resulted in officers locating a 5.56 millimeter/.223 caliber rifle.

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

The Fort Smith Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyra Jenner 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.