J. Frederick Braswell, III, a 26-year-old from North Little Rock, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The sentence was announced by Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and handed down by United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky.
According to court records, Braswell was indicted on December 3, 2024, by a federal grand jury on three counts: being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On August 15, 2025, he pleaded guilty to the firearms charge. In addition to his prison term, Judge Rudofsky sentenced Braswell to three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
An investigation found that on August 25, 2024, law enforcement stopped Braswell for speeding. He attempted to flee at speeds reaching 100 miles per hour before officers disabled his vehicle using tactical intervention. Braswell then fled on foot and entered another person’s residence by jumping over a privacy fence. Officers located him inside with a backpack containing multiple bags of marijuana, Xanax pills, a scale, money, and a Glock 29 handgun with an extended magazine.
Braswell had previously been convicted in February 2024 for possession of a firearm by a felon and received a suspended imposition of sentence at that time despite it being his second such conviction.
His criminal record includes felony convictions related to drugs—specifically oxycodone and marijuana—as well as two prior convictions for possessing firearms as certain persons are prohibited from doing so under law. Additional convictions include theft by receiving and fleeing.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation with help from the Arkansas State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Stacy Williams prosecuted the case.
“Jonathan D. Ross said: ‘Today’s federal sentence marks the third time Braswell has been convicted for possessing a gun after becoming a felon.'”
