Little Rock Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm Possession

FAYETTEVILLE - A Little Rock man was sentenced today to 121 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.

According to court documents, on June 26, 2023, the Arkansas State Police (ASP) dispatcher advised ASP troopers of a reported incident that occurred on Interstate 49. The caller advised dispatch that he believed the defendant, Richard Joseph Price, age 59, had a firearm. Both parties involved in the accident had relocated to a motel in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where Fayetteville Police Department (FPD) Officers and ASP Troopers responded to investigate the reported incident. In speaking to Price,law enforcement suspected that Pricewas under the influence of alcohol and ultimately arrested him for Driving While Intoxicated. ASP Troopers along with FPD officers continued to investigate and searched Price's truck. Inside the truck, law enforcement found an open container of alcohol, a loaded, stolen .9mm pistol with a filed off serial number, and two additional loaded magazines. Law enforcement determined that Price was a felon at the time of this incident.

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

This case was investigated by the Arkansas State Police, Fayetteville Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Assistant United States Attorney Briana Robbins prosecuted the case.

This case was prosecuted as 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department's renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney's Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.govLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..