A Butler man will serve seven years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for violating federal firearms law, according to a U.S. attorney.

Thomas James Clark, 33, was sentenced Tuesday, June 2, by U.S. District Judge W. Scott Hardy on weapons charges, according to U.S. attorney Troy Rivetti.

He said Clark was apprehended Jan. 20, 2024, regarding a warrant for aggravated assault charges and was found with an AR-15-style rifle with no serial number, a revolver and dozens of rounds of ammunition.

Clark was previously convicted in 2018 on felony charges in Butler County Common Pleas Court, which prohibits him from possessing a firearm under federal law.

The case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a collaboration among law enforcement at all levels to reduce violent crime and gun violence.

Assistant U.S. attorneys Kelly M. Locher and Katherine C. Jordan prosecuted the case.

Rivetti commended state police in Butler, the Butler City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation and prosecution of Clark.