A felon who was arrested after being found to be in possession of a large caliber, high powered hunting rifle appeared during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court/Criminal Division last Monday.
Thirty-seven-year-old Amanda Kay Hatfield pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a weapon and was sentenced to four years-probation and ordered to forfeit the rifle.
According to the probable cause affidavit, officers from probation and parole and the 14th Judicial District Drug Task Force went to a residence along County Road 227 looking for Clint Young who is listed as a fugitive and has an outstanding felony warrant.
The residence is described as Young’s “known address”.
There was no contact with Young, but the officers did meet with Hatfield who was reported to be Young’s live-in girlfriend.
The woman told the officers that Young no longer lived at the residence, that she had not seen him in more than a month and was unaware of his current location.
After some questioning, she is reported to have admitted that Young had stayed at the residence the night before.
It was known that the account for electricity was in his name and that a car parked in the driveway was one that Young had been seen driving recently.
When the officers told Hatfield they intended to search the residence, she is said to have argued with them.
During the search, officers located medicines and other items belonging to Young.
When she was asked about the high-powered rifle, Hatfield is reported to have responded she had borrowed it to shoot squirrels. It was confirmed that Hatfield was a convicted felon and prohibited from being around weapons.
Hatfield is reported to have replied that she was no longer on probation and thought it would be permissible to be in possession of a firearm.
In material describing the gun found at the home, it is pointed out that little would be left of a squirrel shot with the weapon.
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