Jason Autry indicted on federal gun charge

JACKSON, Tenn. — Jason Autry, a man previously charged in connection with the abduction and murder of Holly Bobo, has been indicted on federal charges following his arrest in Benton County last week.

Court documents say a Benton County Sheriff’s Office deputy saw Autry lying in a field on Dec. 3, and later recovered a firearm in the area where Autry was seen.

Autry later told the deputy that he was attempting to shoot a deer, and that he hid when he saw the deputy, according to a news release.

Autry is a convicted felon, and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s office, Autry faces up to 10 years in prison and an additional three years of supervised release if convicted. If Autry is found to be an armed career criminal, he would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life imprisonment.

“Prohibited persons in possession of firearms  are always a public safety concern, but especially so when there is a known history of  violent crime convictions. We commend the outstanding investigative work of our federal  and local law enforcement partners in quickly responding to remove the firearm from this  offender and safely bring him into custody,” said U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant in the news release.