A previously convicted felon was sentenced to eight years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to attacking a court bailiff last year and possession of guns stolen from law enforcement officers in 2016.
Michael Fred Allen Lester, 27, who was set to stand trial Thursday in Garland County Circuit Court, instead pleaded guilty to felony counts of second-degree battery, theft by receiving of a firearm and possession of a firearm by certain persons and was sentenced to eight years in prison on each count, to run concurrently, while costs were expunged for time served since his last arrest on Dec. 7, 2017.
Two additional counts of possession of a firearm by certain persons and one count of theft by receiving of a firearm were withdrawn by prosecutors. Lester was sentenced as a habitual offender, having been convicted in 2011 of possession of a controlled substance, cocaine, and failure to appear, and in 2014 of residential burglary, all in Garland County.
According to the probable cause affidavits, on Aug. 14, 2016, a Garland County sheriff's deputy reported a break-in to his patrol unit, which had its passenger-side window glass broken out, and the theft of numerous items, including a .223-caliber rifle valued at $2,000 that belonged to the sheriff's department.
That same day, a Hot Springs police officer reported a break-in to his police unit and the theft of multiple items, including a .22-caliber revolver.
The next day, two men were arrested in connection with the thefts who told sheriff's investigators they had traded the guns to Lester for drugs. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Lester's residence on Crescent Avenue and located both the stolen firearms and took Lester into custody.
At that time, Lester was on active parole from his 2014 conviction and as a convicted felon was prohibited from owning or possessing firearms. When questioned, Lester admitted to being in possession of the firearms as well as a third firearm, a .32-magnum revolver he said belonged to his mother.
Lester was later released on $12,500 bond on Feb. 22, 2017, and then failed to appear for his scheduled trial on the charges on June 22, 2017. He was arrested June 28, 2017, and later released again on $15,000 bond on Aug. 14, 2017. He failed to appear again for a pretrial hearing on Dec. 4, 2017, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
On Dec. 7, 2017, bailiff Heather Hall was on duty in circuit court at the Garland County Court House when she was advised Lester was in the courtroom and had the warrant for his arrest. She approached him and attempted to detain him, but Lester ran toward the courtroom door.
Hall grabbed Lester in a "bear hug" and he began punching her in the head and face as he opened the door. The two continued to fight in the hallway and Hall ordered him to stop resisting or she would use her Taser. Lester broke away and ran down the stairs and Hall deployed her Taser with only one prong hitting Lester.
Lester was able to leave the courthouse through a fire escape but was apprehended a few minutes later by police at the corner of Ouachita Avenue and Hawthorne Street.
The affidavit notes Hall had bruising on the back of her neck and was complaining of pain to the right side of her head and face. Investigators obtained security video of the incident.
Local on 08/01/2018