A 27-year-old Poplar Bluff man was sentenced Friday to 120 months in prison for possessing a firearm while being a convicted felon.
He was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew T. Schelp, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Southeastern Division.
Walter Currie, of the 500 block of West Harper Street, pleaded guilty in connection to “shots fired” at a man Jan. 16, 2020, at the Motel 6 in Poplar Bluff. Butler County Sheriff’s investigators at the time said Currie and the intended victim, a Poplar Bluff resident, were involved in a “dispute” about a woman.
Witnesses at the scene of the shooting reported multiple shots were fired from a gray automobile. Investigators recovered spent shells at the scene, according to authorities. At the time, Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs offered a $500 reward for information leading to Currier’s arrest.
Currie was arrested four days later when he failed to stop his vehicle for a Poplar Bluff police officer, triggering a high-speed chase that ended when the suspect crashed into a patrol car, according to information previously released by law enforcement. Currie fled on foot but was followed to his residence and arrested there, according to news reports at the time.
A search of his vehicle “found a Norcino, SKS, semiautomatic rifle that was loaded with nine rounds of ammunition,’’ according to the press release. The rifle was later identified as stolen.
At the time of his arrest, Currie was on parole after being sentenced for selling a controlled substance and had previous felony convictions for unlawful possession of a firearm, sale of a controlled substance, burglary and stealing for burglary.