Tennessee Man Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Michael Wayne Parsons, age 57, formerly of Arlington, Tennessee, was sentenced today to 84 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release following his conviction by a United States District Court jury of being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Mr. Parsons is a sovereign citizen who does not believe he is subject to the laws of the United States.  He claims citizenship only in the country of “Chilcotin” which he and his like-minded associates believe was established in British Columbia, Canada, in 2015.

In January of 2017, Mr. Parsons was awaiting trial in state court in Tennessee.  His charges there were also for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  He failed to appear for his trial and a warrant was issued for his arrest.  Mr. Parsons piloted a single-engine airplane he owned flying north headed to Montana and, ultimately, to the country of “Chilcotin” in Canada.  He landed for the night in Arapahoe, Nebraska.  Agents located him by pinging his phone.  He was arrested and a later search of his airplane located an LAR 15 assault rifle and several hundred rounds of ammunition.  Parsons was sentenced by the Honorable John Gerrard, Chief United States District Court Judge, who ordered Mr. Parsons’s federal sentence to run consecutive to a three-year state prison term for failing to appear for trial in the State of Tennessee.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Furnas County Sheriff’s Office.