(File Photo of a Gavel)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) A Butler resident has been sentenced in federal court to seven years of incarceration for illegally possessing firearms as a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti announced yesterday. 

U.S. District Judge W. Scott Hardy sentenced Thomas James Clark, 33, to 84 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. 

According to information presented in court, law enforcement officers arrested Clark on Jan. 20, 2024, on an outstanding warrant related to aggravated assault charges. Prosecutors said Clark dropped belongings he was carrying when he encountered officers. The items included an AR-15-style rifle without a serial number, a revolver and dozens of rounds of ammunition. 

Court records show Clark had previous convictions in Butler County for methamphetamine production and criminal conspiracy. Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms or ammunition.