Bozeman man sentenced in firearms case

MISSOULA—Bozeman resident Sean O’Neal Carr was sentenced to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release on Nov. 16 for illegal firearms possession, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme announced.

Carr, 42, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm on Aug. 7.

Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided at the hearing.

An investigation found that Carr, having been convicted of felony drug possession in Montana, possessed a 9mm semi-automatic pistol on Aug. 29, 2017 in Bozeman. Law enforcement arrested Carr after a Bozeman Police officer offered to help Carr and a woman who had been locked out of a vehicle.

As the officer approached, he noticed that Carr was openly carrying a pistol on his hip. Carr used a homemade tool to open the vehicle door and the woman left. When the officer spoke to Carr, he noticed Carr was fidgeting and seemed uncomfortable and that his behavior was similar to those he had seen on methamphetamine. The officer detained Carr after he identified himself and told the officer he was on probation. The officer took possession of the gun, which was loaded with a full magazine and had a round in the chamber.

Carr told law enforcement later that the firearm was a birthday present and that he’d had it for about a month.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bozeman Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.

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