A man dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Navy has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for possessing 20 firearms, according to Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. The sentence was issued by United States District Court Judge Lee P. Rudofsky.
James Charles Hart, 26, from Wynne, was arrested on December 7, 2023. He faced charges on January 9, 2024, for possession of a firearm by a dishonorably discharged person and later faced additional charges in July of that year. Hart pleaded guilty on January 6, 2025.
Judge Rudofsky also imposed a three-year supervised release term on Hart. Federal sentences do not include parole.
Hart’s discharge from the Navy occurred on August 26, 2021, following convictions related to supremacist and extremist activities and illegal firearm sales. He had previously advocated violence against military members and encouraged recruitment into extremist causes.
An FBI investigation revealed that Hart appeared at a residence in April 2023 wearing tactical gear and carrying an AR pattern firearm with loaded magazines. He claimed to be “patrolling this neighborhood” but was asked to leave by the resident.
On December 7, 2023, FBI agents arrested Hart as a passenger in another vehicle and found a firearm linked to him during the arrest search. Further searches of his car and home uncovered multiple firearms including Glock and Sig Sauer handguns as well as various rifles and shotguns among other weapons and ammunition.
Additionally, FBI agents discovered evidence of a conspiracy involving Hart planning a robbery with militia members targeting Tennessee.
The case was investigated by the FBI with help from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Crews.
