A North Carolina man suspected of extremist ties and caught in Genesee County in March 2022 with an illegal firearm and subsequently charged by federal law enforcement was sentenced on Wednesday to time served.
Michael Alan Jones, who reportedly had ties to white supremacist groups, served 10 months in federal custody after his arrest in by deputies Kenneth Quackenbush and Nicholas Chamoun, who relentlessly questioned Jones and a companion during a traffic stop on School Road in Le Roy after a vehicle driven by Jones tried to make apparent evasive moves.
It turned out Jones did not have the proper license plate on the vehicle he was driving, giving the officers the authority to impound the car and inventory its contents. While compiling the inventory, they discovered an illegal AR-15.
The video of his arrest, above, is edited from body-worn camera footage obtained by The Batavian in February through a Freedom of Information Law request filed with the Sheriff's Office.
Once the FBI learned of the arrest of Jones, an agent with the Joint Terrorism Task Force responded to the Sheriff's Office on Park Road and questioned him.
The FBI took over the case and filed federal charges against Jones because he was a convicted felon -- in North Carolina -- who crossed state lines in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Jones admitted to the Federal charges in December and was eventually released under supervision, returning to his parents' home in North Carolina, pending sentencing. He was apparently released, in part, because of a serious medical condition involving his leg.
In a letter to Judge David G. Larimer, Jones said the release probably enabled him to receive the care he needed to keep his leg.
A probation officer also noted for the court record that Jones was in full compliance with the terms of his release.
In his letter, Jones admitted he had made mistakes.
"I would like to apologize for my actions that have led me to your courtroom," Jones wrote to the judge. "I have had time to reflect on what circumstances led me there and what thought processes led me to believe I was doing the right thing, and I can see now that I was simply wrong. There is no justifying it. We have laws in place for the betterment of society, and it is not up to me or anyone on my level to try and decide which ones are to be followed or not. I regret the steps I took that led to us being in my position today, but I can honestly tell you that I have learned from my mistakes, and I have no desire or intention of ever putting myself in a situation to end up in any situation like this again."
UPDATE 5:30 p.m. Since publication of this story, The Batavian has obtained a copy sentencing memo presented to the court by Federal Public Defender Steven Slawinski in support of a time-served sentence for his client. In it, Slawinski states that Jones, who had a leg injury prior to his arrest, was in danger of losing his leg and was barely able to walk because of inadequate medical care while in the custody of the Monroe County Jail. The wound had become infected, and Jones had been denied antibiotics in jail. Slawinski asked the court to consider the possibility of Jones again not receiving adequate health care if he were incarcerated again.
Slawinski also confirms that Jones was a former member of Proud Boys, which Jones joined when he was a teenager. Over time, his views changed, and Jones became a paid FBI informant. Jones infiltrated the Charlotte chapter of Proud Boys and provided the FBI with "valuable information" about the organization. He writes, "Jones has since matured and no longer harbors these views. In fact, renouncing these views was a prerequisite for his parents allowing him to come back to their home after he was released from jail."
Slawinski said Jones is considering becoming a trucker or going back to college to earn a degree in agriculture.
Previously:
- Law and Order: North Carolina man accused of possessing illegal weapon
- Feds take over case involving North Carolina man found in Le Roy with AR-15
- N.C. man with apparent extremist ties admits to federal crime in relation to arrest in Le Roy
- Deputies' doggedness leads to illegal firearm arrest, interest of terrorism task force
