Arvil W. Bryant, Jr., a 32-year-old resident of Litchfield, Michigan, has been sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. The sentence was handed down by Chief Judge Holly A. Brady at the United States District Court.
Bryant will also serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
Court documents show that on May 14, 2024, Bryant was arrested while riding a motorcycle in Fremont, Indiana. He was wanted on warrants from Michigan. During his arrest, officers found him with a stolen firearm. As a convicted felon, Bryant was not allowed to possess firearms. Authorities also discovered an improvised explosive device attached to the handlebars of his motorcycle and called in bomb squads to secure the scene.
“On May 14, 2024, Arvil Bryant was a felon,” said Acting U.S. Attorney M. Scott Proctor. “He should not have possessed any firearm; let alone one reported as stolen. He especially should not have possessed that firearm while riding an explosives-laden motorcycle. Thanks to the excellent team that investigated and prosecuted the case, both he and those items are off the streets.”
The investigation involved several agencies: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Michigan State Police 1st District Fugitive Team, United States Marshals Service, Fremont Police Department, Steuben County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police, Fort Wayne Police Department, and ATF Forensic Science Laboratory. Assistant United States Attorney Teresa L. Ashcraft prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which brings together law enforcement and community organizations to address violent crime and gun violence across neighborhoods nationwide. In May 2021, the Department launched an updated strategy for PSN focusing on building trust within communities and supporting local organizations working toward violence prevention.
