Man who had assault rifle, ammo in airplane sentenced

A Tennessee man was sentenced to prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

Michael Wayne Parsons 57, of Tennessee, was sentenced Friday to 84 months in prison, United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced in a news release. 

In January 2017, Parsons piloted a single-engine airplane he owned and was flying to Montana, and, ultimately, the country of “Chilcotin” in Canada. 

“Chilcotin” is a country Parsons believed was established in British Columbia, Canada, in 2015, according to the release. 

Parsons did not believe he was subject to the laws of the United States, the release said. 

While en route to his destination, Parsons landed for a night in Arapahoe, Nebraska. 

Law enforcement tracked him by pinging his phone, and he was arrested. 

A search of his plane yielded an LAR 15 assault rifle and several hundred rounds of ammunition.