MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota man who was accused of assembling an arsenal of illegal weapons to use against police has been sentenced to nearly seven years in federal prison.
River William Smith, 21, of the Minneapolis suburb of Savage, pleaded guilty last May to one count of possession of a machine gun — specifically devices to convert guns to fully automatic fire. He was also accused of attempting to possess unregistered hand grenades. He paid an FBI informant $690 for four “auto sear” devices and three dummy grenades, prosecutors alleged.
Federal prosecutors say Smith idolized mass shooters, while his defense attorney countered that the government’s accusations were wildly exaggerated.
“When a defendant tells us how dangerous he is, we should listen,” prosecutor Andrew Winter told U.S. District Judge David Doty on Tuesday. “When he tells us he is full of rage, full of hate, enjoys watching people get shot, we should take notice.”
But defense attorney Jordan Kushner argued this was a “run-of-the-mill firearms case” involving someone who had not ever harmed anyone.