Defendant Who Escaped Pending Sentencing on a Gun Charge is Sentenced on Both Charges

Acting United States Attorney Steve Butler of the Southern District of Alabama announces that Allen J. Butler, III of Theodore, Alabama was sentenced to 9 years in prison by United States District Court Senior Judge Callie V.S. Granade for the charges of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person (a felon) and Escape.

 On November 14, 2016, Allen Butler, III plead guilty to the offense of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person (a felon) in violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g)(1) before Senior Judge Granade in the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Alabama.  Upon completion of his guilty plea to that charge, Butler was ordered to remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal Service until his sentencing hearing that was to be held within 90 days.
 
 On January 6, 2017, Allen Butler was transported by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office to the University of Southern Alabama hospital in Mobile after complaining of pains from swallowing a piece of metal.  While at the hospital, Butler used a partial handcuff key to unlock his handcuffs and he fled the hospital.  A large-scale manhunt ensued that included local media networks who covered the search for Butler.

The Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force discovered information that Butler had traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana, upon his escape, and was possibly back in the Mobile area.  Law enforcement officers tracked Butler to an apartment in Wilmer, Alabama.  When officers arrived, they found Butler hiding inside the residence.  Allen Butler was taken back into custody after eluding capture for nearly 5 days.

 Butler was subsequently charged with Escape, and ultimately sentenced, along with his original firearm charge, to 109 months in Federal Prison. 

 Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person (a felon) is a violation of Title 18, United States Code § 922(g) (1) and is punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Butler’s Escape charge was a violation of Title 18, United States Code § 751(A) and is punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years.  

 Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mobile Field Office, the United States Marshal Service, in conjunction with the Mobile County Sheriff’s Department, referred these cases for prosecution.  Officers of the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force also participated in this investigation.

These cases were prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Baugh.