SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — A 49-year-old man from West Jordan, Utah, was sentenced to 31 months in prison for possessing firearms and ammunition as a restricted person while squatting on federal lands.
Michael Lee Rasmussen, a convicted felon, pleaded guilty on December 5, 2025, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Shelby also sentenced him to three years of supervised release and imposed a three-year ban from federal public lands in the District of Utah as a condition of his supervision, according to court documents.
Beginning in late 2024, Rasmussen, a five-time felon, constructed a makeshift compound on federal public lands near Manning Canyon, Utah. The compound included vehicles, trailers, tents, appliances, and extensive litter. Despite multiple warnings, Rasmussen continued squatting, prompting complaints from locals about gunshots, threats, stolen property, and unusual nighttime traffic, stated the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)…