Department of Justice

United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Jermaine Butler, a 27 year old resident of Selma, Alabama was sentenced to 37 months incarceration followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a Zastava rifle after being convicted of Assault First Degree.

 

On September 25, 2018, Butler entered a guilty plea pursuant to a plea agreement and admitted in open court that on May 25, 2018, Dallas County, AL deputies set up a random driver’s license checkpoint in Selma, Alabama.  A Chevrolet Impala driven by Butler stopped several yards short of the checkpoint.  Deputies motioned for Butler to continue to the checkpoint.  Butler then drove past the checkpoint then stopped.  As deputies approached the driver’s side of the vehicle, they smelled marijuana and saw one passenger in the vehicle with Butler.  Both were asked to exit the vehicle.  When Butler opened the front driver’s side door, deputies saw a small amount of marijuana.  Butler was immediately detained.  Deputies then saw, in plain view, a rifle on the floorboard of the backseat of the vehicle.  The rifle was loaded.  The rifle is described as a Zastava, model N-PAP DF, 7.62X39 caliber rifle.  A probable cause search of the vehicle was conducted.  The search discovered another quantity of marijuana stuffed between the front seats.  Butler then stated that the rifle and the marijuana were his and the passenger also stated that the rifle and marijuana belonged to Butler. 

 

Butler was previously convicted of Assault First Degree on March 3, 2015, in the Circuit Court of Dallas County, Alabama, case number CC-2012-000045.     

 

Officers of the Dallas County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office along with special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives investigated the case and brought it to the U. S. Attorney=s Office for prosecution.  The prosecutor assigned to the case is Assistant United States Attorney, Gina S. Vann.