A Little Rock man, Richard Joseph Price, was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for possessing a firearm as a felon. The sentencing took place in the United States District Court in Fayetteville, presided over by Judge Timothy L. Brooks.
Court documents reveal that on June 26, 2023, Arkansas State Police received a report regarding an incident on Interstate 49 involving Price, who was believed to have a firearm. Following the incident, both parties moved to a motel in Fayetteville where officers from the Fayetteville Police Department and ASP troopers conducted an investigation. During their interaction with Price, law enforcement suspected him of being under the influence of alcohol and arrested him for Driving While Intoxicated.
A subsequent search of Price's truck uncovered an open container of alcohol, a loaded stolen .9mm pistol with its serial number filed off, and two additional loaded magazines. Authorities confirmed that Price was a felon at the time.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes announced the sentence while Assistant United States Attorney Briana Robbins prosecuted the case. The investigation involved collaboration between the Arkansas State Police, Fayetteville Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through cooperation among various levels of law enforcement and communities. Reinforced by the Department of Justice in 2017, PSN encourages U.S. Attorney’s Offices to partner with federal, state, local, tribal law enforcement agencies and communities to create effective strategies against violent crime.
